Matchmaker Misao
by Cherie Dee
Summary: A/U, follow-up to WMM, Misao promised Aoshi she'd find him a girlfriend...and with the help of her two best friends and one foxy lady doctor, it'll be a Valentine season he'll never forget. (alt pairing)
1. Prologue: The Conspiracy

Okay, I revamped the whole thing. Which is why Realizations is on hold. The fun part is finding what's different in this fic…what's been added…what's been taken out. As promised, I'd get this finished by Valentine's Day…which…technically…in this timeline…is Aoshi & Meg's 1st anniversary. 

Are you happy that I haven't at least disappeared? =P

**Prologue: The Conspiracy**

From the e-diary of Misao Makimachi:

_January 3, 2003_

_ Happy New Year! Okay, I've been lagging on the entries since Xmas. Oh well. New year, new beginnings, etc._

_ I spent New Year's Eve alone drinking that Martinelli stuff. Aoshi went to a party at some hotel. He's not a party animal, but I think one of his superior officers was hosting it. At least he's got a life now. He started hanging out with Himura and Megs more often, too. Who knows what adults do for fun. _

_ Most people make resolutions to work out, study harder, whatever. My resolution is the promise to Aoshi I made months ago – find him a girlfriend by Valentine's Day. He brushes it off every time I mention it to him. I think he's pretending it never happened. I know he'd rather die than admit that he's lonely. And I'm not talking about comic book, hentai-watching, play Everquest for thirty hours straight lonely type of guy. _

_Aoshi's_ so cool…I can't imagine him growing old alone. And he's great with kids, I'm sure he wouldn't mind being a father again. Anyway, he needs someone to complement him. Being a relationship just enhances his life. Some people can't live without being in love. He's not one of those. It's all about balance.  __

_It's__ my personal goal to make sure he's married before I graduate college. High school is pushing it. Hello?!? I'm gonna be a senior next year!_

_ I have no ideas yet for what type of woman I'm planning to set him up with. But I've got over a month. That's plenty of time. And with all the resources I have, finding a woman for the boss should be easy, right? _

"Misao, come on, let's go!" Stella, her friend, tapped her foot impatiently. 

"Okay, okay," Misao responded as she saved her journal entry. With a few clicks and the push of a monitor button, she shut down her computer. Spinning in her desk chair, she jumped up, and grabbed her bag of clothes. "What time is Danielle meeting us at the beach?"

"Twenty minutes ago," Stella joked.

"Haha," Misao retorted as she grabbed a dry erase marker. She scribbled a note on the white board attached to the fridge, informing her guardian that she was going out and what time she expected to be back.

"Where's Aoshi, anyway?" Stella asked as she attempted to read Misao's handwriting.

"He's out with Megs. They're going shopping for Commander Saitou's housewarming party."

"Isn't he the chain-smoker you were telling me about? His wife is a pediatrician?"

"That's him," Misao nodded. Then she recapped the pen and stuck it back on the fridge. "Hey, wanna do something really strange but fun at the same time?"

"It sounds scary to me right now," Stella looked at her warily.

"No! It'll be fun." After they exited the house and climbed in Stella's car, she turned to her friend. "I was gonna wait to tell Danielle-"

"Forget it. I'm too curious," Stella cut in as she started her car. 

Misao laughed. "Well, drive and I'll tell you along the way…"


	2. Part 1: Advertising for Miss Right

Terms:

_Exchange/navy exchange: _Navy retail store that sells electronics, home furnishing, kitchenware, clothing, cosmetics tax free and several dollars less than standard price.

**Part 1: ****Advertising for Miss Right**

_January 7, 2003_

_ Oh…my…goodness. I cannot believe that piece of horrible crap Aoshi bought as a present for Cmdr Saitou and his wife. What the hell is he thinking? And I can't believe Megs let him BUY that? What was she thinking??_

_ That's it. That is so it. Aoshi REALLY, REALLY needs a girlfriend. I couldn't believe he actually came home with that gift. And to make it worse, he decides to buy me something along the way. Give me the receipt now so I can return it. It was soo bad. Does being single for too long cause a man to lose taste in everything? Suddenly he's gonna start dressing like some preppy dork. I hope he never reaches that stage. At that point, he's never going to get a girlfriend, no matter what I do…_

_~ Misao_

"That's really…um…marbly," Misao stared in dumbfounded shock at the marble wolf statue Megumi placed on the kitchen counter of the Shinomori/Makimachi household. 

"It's appropriate," Aoshi stated as he poured himself a glass of cold water.

"For what?" Misao retorted, forcing her eyes away from the object.

Megumi smiled reluctantly. "I tried to tell him…"

"You actually let him walk out with that?!" Misao exclaimed. 

"It's not-" Aoshi protested.

"It's ugly!" the teenager wailed. "That has got to be the ugliest gift anyone could give for a couple! He's gonna court-martial you for this!"

As a breath of exasperation passed through Aoshi's lips, he said with obvious patience, "I can't be court-martialed for something like that, Misao. Besides…you haven't seen his office. He has this animal displayed everywhere."

"He's clearly trying to say something," Megumi mused. 

Aoshi arched a brow. 

"Even if he says he likes wolves…that's so…tacky!" Misao shook her head vehemently. "That's like someone buying Aoshi an iceberg."

"Or an ice cube tray," Megumi supplied. 

"Or a bag of ice," Misao mused.

"Or an icebox-"

"Megumi," Aoshi cut in sternly, shaking his head at the lady doctor's saccharine smile. "Stop encouraging her."

Misao's eyes widened. "I'm right here, Aoshi…Don't talk to me like I'm not…"

Her guardian critically examined the gift he bought for his superior's housewarming party. "You really think it's too much."

"It's a lot," Misao emphasized. "A lot of crap."

Megumi smiled. "She certainly gets to the point."

Throwing her hands up in the air, the teenager called out, "Will you both stop talking like I'm not here?"

"Misao…" Aoshi dug into a gray plastic bag. "I bought this for you while I was at the exchange buying that gift…"

"You bought the statue at the _exchange_. Could you get any more cheap?" Misao groaned. "Nice, Aoshi. They probably go past the wolf statue section every day…" She grimaced as she caught the yellow, brown and orange tie-dye tank top he tossed in her direction. "Aoshi…"

"I tried to tell him to get the blue and white," Megumi said in a hushed tone.

"Are you going to complain about my taste in clothes?" Aoshi prompted.

"These are Jiya's colors!" Misao cried.

"I thought that you could match him the next time he visits," Aoshi said calmly before drinking his water.

"Like I wanna look like him," Misao grumbled. "You've been single for too long, Aoshi. You need a girlfriend."

He nearly coughed on his drink. "What does that have to do with-?"

"I've found that taken men have much better taste in clothes and gifts," Megumi chimed in.

"I suppose I can't argue with an expert on men," Aoshi responded quickly, earning a death glare from her.

Megumi sighed. "Just because I date-"

"-a lot," he pointed out.

"-doesn't mean that I-"

"Ooh, hey, maybe you can help me out, Megs."

"With what, Misao?" the lady doctor turned her attention to the teenager.

"I'm trying to create a personal ad for Aoshi. Maybe you can tell me if he sounds like a guy you'd date. After I'm done writing it, I mean."

The doctor's brown eyes took on a wicked gleam as Aoshi's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Misao, I really don't think I need a-"

"I didn't realize you were that desperate to have her write your personal ad," Megumi commented.

"Actually…I promised Aoshi I'd find him a girlfriend by Valentine's Day," Misao explained. Shifting her weight slightly, she glanced at the ground. "I think it'd be nice for him to have someone. I mean…I'm gonna be in college soon. I think it'd be cool if he got into the dating scene…so he'd get used to it again…and…maybe meet someone."

Megumi's eyes softened. In spite of her unconventional relationships, she was a romantic at heart. Her and Aoshi's eyes met over the cool marble top of his kitchen counter. 

"I'm not lonely, Misao," Aoshi spoke after a moment. "I-"

"I know," Misao piped up. "It's not like you're going to meet the love of your life through Yay! Personals. I just thought it'd be a nice jumpstart on your personal life, that's all."

"I think it's very sweet," Megumi said warmly. "Not many daughters are willing to share their fathers with anyone."

Aoshi studied the two women before saying, "I take it there's no way I can talk you out of this?"

Misao beamed, shaking her head. "Nope."

"I see…"

Megumi lifted one shoulder and said, "It couldn't hurt, Aoshi…"

_January 10, 2003_

_ And so it's on! I started writing the personal ad today. _

_Also, Megs managed to convince Aoshi to buy something else at the exchange for Commander Saitou and his wife. Sure, the gift fits the commander, but what about his wife?_

_Anyway, back to the ad. Stella and Danielle decided to help me. They were having a blast. Not that I blame them. But this is serious stuff. I gotta make sure that the right person responds to this. I don't want any weirdos flooding Aoshi's inbox. Eww! Anyway, writing the ad is actually pretty easy. It's probably the waiting which will get to me.__ That, and Aoshi's taking this better than I thought. Why do I get the feeling something's up?_

_~ Misao_

            "She's right, you know," Megumi murmured, delicately running her finger along the control panel of a blender. "It was a bit much."

            At the exchange, she and Aoshi had gone through the home décor section, with very little luck. Now they wandered through the kitchenware, perusing items displayed on metal shelves chest high. 

            "As I recall, she was just as shocked to discover that you let me walk out with it," Aoshi responded, examining a knife set.

            "As if you can be swayed in your decisions," Megumi responded. She glanced over, noticing what had caught his attention. "Oh, that's a nice one. How come we didn't notice that earlier?"

            Aoshi gingerly picked up the flat box, looking over the picture that decorated the front and back before reading the list of contents.

            As if out of nowhere, a sales associate dressed in black dress pants and a white sleeveless blouse appeared, her brown hair pulled back in a half-ponytail. "Can I help you?"

            "Do you have another box?" he asked, gesturing to one of the damaged box corners with one long finger. 

            "I believe so…let me check the back for you…" she answered.

            "Thank you," he responded with a faint smile.

            "Anytime." As Aoshi continued to look through the knife set, she turned slightly, colliding into another female sales associate.

            Megumi's women intuition immediately picked up on the reason for the collision. She didn't miss the appreciative looks in both women's eyes. Megumi's eyes raked over Aoshi from head to toe. If she could be objective, Aoshi did look rather nice in his khaki pants and white button down shirt. The white contrasted against his healthy tan…and the top buttons were left open, exposing his throat and collarbone. The shirt moved with him, and in the right light, the shadow of his chest could be seen underneath. She pursed her lips. There were dozens of men, in uniform and in civilian wear, littered all over the exchange. Nevertheless, there was something to be said about tall, lean, dark handsome men. Smiling slyly, she sidled up to Aoshi.

            "You know…maybe Misao won't have to take a personal ad out for you…" she said softly. 

            He frowned slightly. "Why is that?"

            "You seem to hold your own…" She shrugged slightly.

            "Then perhaps you can encourage her to drop the idea," he replied. 

            "I doubt that. What time is the commander's party tomorrow?" 

            "Two p.m.," he answered automatically.

            Megumi checked her Palm Pilot to make sure she had the date correct. "Okay. For some strange reason, I had one-thirty."

            "Perhaps his wife is tricking you into coming early to help with setup…" 

            "Maybe." She grinned and made a correction on her organizer. 

            In a few minutes, the sales associate returned with Aoshi's box. Megumi watched with amusement. Her friend was obviously unaware of the attention. The woman was practically gushing, engaging in conversation with him, about what a wonderful gift the set was. He thanked her and told her that he intended to look around one more time before finalizing his purchase.

            Megumi made her way to the cashier and bought an onion slicer and swivel potato peeler from the female associates she saw earlier.

            "So how do you do it?" one asked.

            Megumi's eyes rounded. "What?"

            "You actually went up to him and talked to him. In all my years working here…I've never seen any woman hit on a guy," the sales associate who had been assisting Aoshi commented.

            "Well…" As a woman, she never had any problems gaining the attention of the opposite sex. But she never really hit on a man at the exchange, either.

            "Then again, if they had your confidence…I don't think they'd have any problems," the woman continued, grinning.

            Megumi smiled back the instant a mischievous thought entered her head. "Well…to be honest. We know each other."

            The two women immediately looked disappointed. "Oh…well…the good-looking ones usually are taken…"

            "Actually…" Megumi leaned forward, dropping her voice. "That's not the case at all. You see…not too long ago he was in therapy for a…performance…problem. I work at the hospital, and I thought he could use a couple compliments, so I brought him flowers once a week so he'd feel better about himself."

            "Really?" The women stared at her in shock after ringing up her purchase.

            Megumi hid her grin. "My friend's actually very self-conscious about all of that. He thinks he can't attract women." She then reached for her bag and change. "Thank you, ladies."

            She then stepped a good four feet from the register once Aoshi came up to buy the knife set. It took all of her self-control to not laugh once the women spoke to him and he immediately jerked his head in her direction, an accusing look in his eyes. She was rather proud of her poker face. 

            Once he finished, he immediately turned towards her and they proceeded out of the exchange.

            "I should hurt you for that," he said as they finally stepped outside.

            "What did you have in mind?" she asked, placing her hand over her heart before fanning herself. "The ideas are…endless."

            He placed his dark sunglasses on to shield his eyes from the bright sun. "Only you would think like that."

            "Of course. It's much more fun…"  

Meanwhile, Misao settled back against the bench at school, waiting as her friends looked over the typed version of the personal ad she was going to place online for her guardian. She nibbled her egg salad sandwich, watching her friends' expressions.

"Well?"

"Let's see…" Danielle began, her eyebrows drawing together.

_Name: Aoshi_

_ Occupation: Naval Officer_

_ Age: 31_

_ Nationality: Japanese-American_

"Basic bios look good…" Stella chimed in.

Misao grinned. "I figured I might as well put those. I took the questions from Yay! Personals. "

_Hobbies: surfing, kempo, spending time with my daughter_

_ Any kids: yes, one beautiful, kind, sixteen-yr-old_

"I thought this was about Aoshi," Danielle cut in.

Misao coughed. "Right. I'll fix that."

_Quality you find most attractive in the opposite sex: Her mind._

"Are you kidding me?" Stella exclaimed. "Is this for real?"

Easily coming to the defense of her guardian, Misao nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. This is Aoshi. He's not like other guys. He doesn't let hormones be the deciding factor…"

"Well, he is old," Danielle pointed out.

"He's thirty-one," Misao said in a deadpan voice. "That is not old."

"But he's also been an officer for ten years. Military people mature much faster," Danielle argued.

Misao flapped her hand. "Okay, that's true. Point is, he's different. I need to write a personal statement for Aoshi. Something that will attract women."

"I'm looking for a possible relationship, but I'm willing to start slowly?" Stella prompted.

"Stella, that sounds so lame," Danielle interjected. "Women are going to think he's a loser."

Misao tapped her chin. "Aoshi isn't looking for a steady relationship. But I think he wouldn't mind being around someone for the long term…"

"Well, does the statement have to be about relationships?" Danielle asked. "Can't we mention how he's dedicated to a higher purpose and all that?"

"This is a personal ad," Stella reminded.

Sighing, Misao took out a pen and began to scribble on a pad of paper. Key words such as 'dedication', 'higher purpose', 'relationship' scrawled across the page.

"No, I think we have to mention his take on relationships. That's why women are going to email him – based on what he's saying about relationships," Stella insisted.

Danielle moved back so that she rested some weight on her palms, her legs stretched out in front of her. "Okay. We know Aoshi's the type of guy who'll stick around. Your dad ain't no love'em-and leave'em."

"Thank heaven!" Misao shuddered.

"But he isn't exactly desperate for women…" Stella continued.

"And he needs to meet someone who doesn't mind dating an officer," Misao added. "There are some women out there who can't stand being around military men…"

"What does Aoshi think about relationships?" Danielle pressed.

"Honestly?" 

Misao nodded, propping her chin in her fists as she watched Aoshi move around the kitchen as he prepared dinner. Stella and Danielle watched in fascination.

"I think they take up far too much time than most people are willing to give. And that too many people jump into the situation before they realize what they got involved in," he stated.

"I don't care what you think about relationships in general. What do you think about yourself in one," Misao continued.

Aoshi tossed some chicken in the frying pan. "If you mean do I think I could share my life with someone, yes."

"Really?"

He nodded, his eyes trailing to the food on the stove. "Not right away…but I think…if I met the right woman…"

"And what's your idea of the right woman?"

He remained quiet for several moments. 

Misao sighed. "You don't know what you want…"

But her guardian then said, "Someone…loyal. Someone…who knows me better than anyone else…" He stirred the contents in the pan. 

"That sounds so romantic…" Stella breathed dreamily. "I never knew guys thought like that."

"The ones your age rarely do," he pointed out.

"Aoshi!" Misao cried. He was so embarrassing sometimes. So what if guys her age were immature? He didn't have to rub it in!

"Besides, you three are young. Commitment should be the last thing on your minds," Aoshi continued.

"Not this speech…" Misao groaned.

Her guardian set a wooden spoon aside. "Is there anything else you want to ask me?"

"No, I think that's it," Misao commented. 

"I think you'll be getting a lot of emails," Danielle said cheerfully. "Especially after we Photofix that picture of you…Ow!" she glared at Misao, who swatted her.

His movements slowed ever so slightly as he cast the three teenagers a curious glance. "Photofix?"

"It's a photo manipulation software that allows users to add special effects to photographs," Stella explained. "Add more contrast, soften the lighting. Stuff like that."

"Misao…what photograph are you planning to use?" he asked, his voice indicating he was not pleased at all.

"Oh, don't worry," the teenager assured. "Something simple…and you. Course, I wasn't planning on using it right away…" she coughed. "I wanted to see how many women would respond to your ad based on words alone. So I'll try it for a week, and if nothing happens, I'll add your face to the ad."

Evasive answer was her way to go. 

_January 20, 2003_

_ Of course, NO ONE responded when I posted just Aoshi's ad. But when I added Danielle's Photofixed picture four days ago, his email account, which only I have access to, had about twenty mails a day. I didn't know there were this many women in __Hawaii who looked on Yay!! That's another thing…I purposely made it so that he's only interested in island women. No mainland applicants here!_

_ There are some really weird emails I got. Some have plagiarized poetry, pictures of import car models, and sex propositions. Now, being the good daughter that I am…and realizing he has NO time for this…I look at each one and reply accordingly. Or I don't reply at all. I'm kinda getting to know what they're like before I set them up with Aoshi. You think HE'D email these chicks? Uh-uh. _

_ Aoshi's gone back to work. And in a couple days, he's supposed to be giving a speech at my school about life as a naval officer. Whee._

_~ Misao _


	3. Part 2: Selecting Miss Right

**Part ****2: Selecting Miss Right**

_January 23, 2003_

_ Today, Aoshi went to my school to discuss careers within the __United States__ Navy. It was the weirdest thing, seeing him up there, knowing he's my guardian. I kinda felt bad for him, because it seemed like too much. Going back to work must have been so weird for him. And then having to speak in front of hundreds of kids who could probably care less. _

_ I think Megs dated the public affairs officer, Lt. Greenleaf. He seems nice enough, according to Megs. I've seen him on the web page, and he isn't bad-looking. I think they went out a few times during Christmas. They were working together on some fundraiser. He's another tick mark to add, as Aoshi would say. But who cares if Megs dates a lot? I wonder how she does it. Maybe she can teach Aoshi how to attract members of the opposite sex. That way, things don't do a complete flop when he goes out on these dates. _

_ Anyway, back to the speech day. He practiced his speech in front of me. Surprisingly, not in front of a mirror, who'd probably be a much better judge. I'm biased. This is Aoshi. I'd offer a good opinion if it helps increase my allowance. But really, I think his speech was good. Lt. Greenleaf suggested on keeping it short, because he knew far in advance that teens could care less. But Aoshi didn't even talk much, and made the mistake of having a panel of questions…_

_~ Misao_

"Thank you so much for being here," Lt. Greenleaf said as they settled in seats at the front of Honolulu High School's auditorium.

Aoshi nodded in response. Both men were dressed in uniform. Greenleaf in dress whites. Which was completely unnecessary. And extremely uncomfortable. Of all the uniforms he ever had to wear, Aoshi was most comfortable in khaki uniform. It was tailored purposely for his body structure, simple, with straight lines, and several colored ribbons pinned above the left breast pocket. His collar had pins indicating his rank and his occupation. 

"I'm glad Megumi recommended you for this…" the young officer continued. "She's got so many connections and so many friends in the Navy it's amazing."

Aoshi was here as a favor to her. She had done a lot while he was recuperating in the hospital, it was the least he could do. He normally hated public speaking in situations like this, but he was going to be talking about something that came so naturally to him. Something that served a purpose. It was the least he could do for a friend. 

He just got back to work three days ago. It felt so unusual being back after such a long break. But at the same time, he felt an incredible sense of relief. His officer's training was such a huge part of him, he couldn't see himself without it for an extended period of time.

Aoshi sat fairly still during Kane Owalu's speech. The hotel manager of one of Waikiki's resorts gave an enthusiastic…if not long…story about the hospitality industry. He had been the youngest general manager on the island…quite an accomplishment for someone who came from a broken family on welfare. 

"Let's give Mr. Owalu a hand," Principal Turner announced into the microphone while clapping his stubby hands. The students half-heartedly followed his example. "And now I'd like to bring up my next guest speaker, Lt. Greenleaf of the United States Navy."

Greenleaf rose to his feet, motioning for Aoshi to join him. It was customary for the senior officer to lead the way when walking, which happened to be the case as Aoshi was closer to the stairs leading to the stage. He took his position slightly behind and to the right of the microphone, as Greenleaf stepped behind the podium.

"Thank you, Principal Turner. My name is Lt. Devlin Greenleaf. I'm the public affairs officer of Pearl Harbor Naval Station. My job is to promote the Navy and insure that the public, that the civilians, are better informed about the Navy and the Navy way of life." He took a breath. "I'm basically a publicist for the Navy. All good businesses want to maintain a good rapport with the public and organizations around them. The Navy is no different." He shifted slightly. "I became an officer not too long ago after I graduated from University of California, Los Angeles, in Business Administration. The Navy is always looking for personnel from different educational and cultural backgrounds. We could always use the support. In exchange for your services, the Navy promises to take care of you. There's no other business in the world that provides immediate medical coverage and tuition for college. You also have the opportunity to travel. There are careers ranging from nurses, journalists, musicians, law enforcement. And it's your choice what you want to do. Lt. Commander Shinomori has been nearly everywhere during his ten years as an officer of Naval Intelligence. I'm going to let him have the floor to tell you a little more about what we do and what we're about."

As Greenleaf stepped back, Aoshi moved forward. 

"Thank you, Lt. Greenleaf." Aoshi surveyed the students, some staring up at the ceiling, others ducking their heads, paying extremely close attention to their handheld games. "Let's keep this simple. I'll let you do the talking. Anyone have any questions?" No use talking when no one was listening. Aoshi ignored the shocked look on Greenleaf's face. The man would make a terrible hostage. 

A girl's hand shot into the air. "Are you single?"

From his vantage point, he could see Misao sink into her chair. He fought back a smile.

"Yes. That's also part of the job," he answered.

Murmurs of 'How boring' or 'Poor guy' filled the room. Keeping his expression neutral, Aoshi gestured to a teenager sitting in the front. 

"You get lots of women, though, right? Like when you're on shore leave in a foreign country?" one guy asked.

Misao ducked into her seat even more. 

"Some sailors choose to spend their shore leave in the company of women," Aoshi answered. 

More murmurs, mostly from women, about men in uniform, men out of uniform, men in flight suits…

Questions involved shooting guns, sniping people, and driving ships came into play. The teenagers obviously didn't plan on taking this Q&A session seriously…

_January 25, 2003_

_ This hunting for the perfect mate stuff is pretty harsh. So many decisions to make. So many emails to go through. So I brought some reinforcements. Kaoru and Megs seem to really like the ad I placed for Aoshi. Now when it comes to choosing someone for him…Megs is being way too critical, while Kaoru's being way too nice. But the replies are pretty entertaining. Kaoru brought up an interesting point that I never thought about…How come Megs and Aoshi never went on a date? And a real, real date, one they both wanted to go on, not one of those favor trades? _

_~ Misao_

"Once everyone knew who he was, they all wanted to talk to me because my 'dad' uses gats and cool gadgets," Misao exclaimed, making a quotation mark motion with her fingers. 

"I think it's neat that Aoshi's so popular," Kaoru commented. 

"Are some kids bothering you?" Megumi asked as she settled comfortably in her lounge chair.

The three had decided to spend a Saturday morning at the beach…dragging male family members with them. Kenshin had protested at first, saying he had laundry to do, but eventually agreed. Aoshi, who loved being by the water, wasn't too hard to convince. Kenshin and Aoshi had gone swimming while the ladies stayed behind. 

"Not really. It's just annoying sometimes," Misao answered. She flipped open Aoshi's wireless laptop and typed a web address. "Here…look at this and tell me what you think…"

When the site displayed, she turned the laptop around so that her two friends could see it. Megumi's eyes widened, as Aoshi's photograph and bio appeared on the screen.

"Did you fix that?" the doctor asked. "The lighting looks so nice…he almost looks like he's modeling for GQ magazine…"

"Danielle set the picture like that," Misao said proudly.

"He…looks good," Kaoru said feebly. 

Misao wasn't too sure if Kaoru was speaking that way because she was married, therefore, unable to notice the appearance of any other man.

"Better than good," Megumi murmured, pushing her sunglasses on top of her head.

Okay, it was just Kaoru being…Kaoru. Sure, Aoshi was her guardian, but Misao thought he was a pretty good-looking guy. In a way, she was relieved that another female agreed with her. Finding a woman would be much easier, then.

Kaoru skimmed the bio information before laughing. "You wrote the bio, didn't you?"

"Of course," Misao huffed. "You think he'd do it? So what do you think? Does he sound like an interesting person?"

"I'd email him," Kaoru offered. "If I was single, and into the whole internet dating thing…"

"Oh yeah…" Misao dug into her beach bag after shutting the laptop down. "I printed out some emails from some of the women that emailed him…Maybe you two have some suggestions…Look at these and tell me what you think…" She pulled out a folder and passed several letters around.

"Why can't we just read it from his email account?" Kaoru asked.

Wrinkling her nose in protest, Misao pulled out several pens. "It'll drain the laptop battery."

"Oh."

"How many candidates have you had so far?" Megumi asked.

"See, that's the thing. I have to get to know who they are first before I set up Aoshi on a date. I have less than one week to choose among two hundred women…"

"His date is coming that quickly?" Megumi began to file through the papers.

"Yes!" Misao exclaimed. "I'm spazzing out here! I don't think that's enough time for me to get to know these women…"

"Ooh, this girl sounds nice." Kaoru waved a sheet in the air. " 'Hello, Aoshi. You have such a cool name! What does it mean? I'm Marilyn, and I really love water sports. There's nothing like it. It almost feels like flying, except you're getting wet. I noticed you like to surf. That's one sport I totally, totally like.' Wow, she seems really enthusiastic about sports."

Megumi peeked at the printed email. "She's twenty, Kaoru. Eleven years younger than Aoshi."

"Ew!" Misao snatched that particular sheet from Kaoru's hands and crumpled it into a ball. 

"What's wrong with that?" Kaoru demanded.

"She's young!" Misao pointed out. "No way am I setting up Aoshi with some college student!"

Kaoru crossed her arms and said indignantly, "There's nothing wrong with the age difference…"

Megumi bit her lip, muffling her laughter by placing a hand over her mouth. "Misao…be careful with what you say…"

So Kaoru and Kenshin had ten years between them. "But Kenshin doesn't have a kid who's sixteen, Kaoru," Misao pointed out. 

That caused the other woman to smile. "You're right."

"This chick is a professional dancer," Misao stated.

"From the red-light district," Megumi added.

"Megs!" Misao cleared her throat and read aloud, " 'Hi, Aoshi. You looked like a really interesting person. My name is Annabelle, and I'm a professional dancer in downtown Honolulu. Dancing has increased my flexibility and strength-' "

"Red-light district loud and clear," Megumi warned.

Misao frowned at her before continuing, "- so perhaps you'd be willing to teach me some kempo.' "

Kaoru giggled. "She certainly sounds…eager to meet him. She can't be that bad, Megumi…"

"I'm only being cautious," Megumi defended. "There are a lot of strange people on the internet…"

"This girl is a freelance model." Kaoru held up a piece of paper.

"Meaning she's an escort." Again, Megumi decided to add her two cents in. 

The three continued to file through the papers.

"Hey, what about this one. 'Hi, Aoshi. I'm Mary Ann. I grew up in Bear Valley Creek Pine Falls, a small mid-western town. I love to cook, clean, bake desserts and-' "

"Boring," Megumi interrupted Kaoru. 

"That's not very nice," Kaoru chided.

Sighing as she settled back, Megumi continued to study each email before crumpling them up and tossing them into the slowly growing pile of rejects by Misao's knee. "Some of these women are completely wrong for him…"

"Since when did you become an expert on what Aoshi wants in a woman?" Kaoru challenged.

"After knowing him this long, you mean to tell me you have no idea what he finds attractive in a woman?" Megumi responded.

Kaoru grimaced, glancing at her pile of emails.

"This woman sent her picture in…" Megumi said quietly, skimming the email. "Hm. Not bad…"

"What does it say?" Misao asked.

" 'I can't believe a guy like you needs to put out a personal ad. You probably lost a bet or something with your friends. Or…Judging by your profile, you probably enjoy work so much it tends to get in the way of your personal life, so a female relative convinced you to do this. Right? Right? =) So what was it like learning kempo? I took a lot of kendo classes while I was in college. To this day I keep up with training. There's a great sense of accomplishment when one understands the forms and principles of an art. Hope to hear from you soon, Charlie.' " Megumi grinned. "Not bad at all. The woman's got to have confidence to write something like that."

The soft plop of a Frisbee at Megumi's feet drew the attention of the three females. They watched as a handsome young man in his mid-twenties strolled up to retrieve it. 

"Sorry, ladies," he said with a charming smile.

Megumi smiled back and shifted in her seat, immediately gaining his attention. 

"Ma'am…" he nodded in her direction before turning away.

Kaoru and Misao watched in fascination as the man turned to look back at Megumi, nearly tripping over a toddler who ran past him. Misao and Kaoru couldn't help but laugh as he stumbled slightly.

"That wasn't nice," Megumi scolded. "He was being friendly."

"Yeah…sure…" Misao giggled. 

"You know, Megumi…I've always wondered…how come you and Aoshi never really went out? On a real date? Not going out for the sake of appearances…or because it's convenient. Going out together because you want to spend time together," Kaoru commented. 

Smoothing back several feathery bangs, Megumi said calmly, "I think he'd be terrible in bed."

The two younger women froze.

"What?" Kaoru's eyes went wide.

"Eww. Gross…I don't need to hear anything about that…he's my guardian!" Misao exclaimed. 

"That's your excuse for not going out with him?" Kaoru asked incredulously. 

"Why not?" Megumi smiled wickedly. "He has everything else, a house, a car, a decent job. He must be lacking in something."

"Since when did that ever stop you?" Kaoru demanded. 

"You two take everything so seriously." Megumi rolled her eyes. Then she grinned. 

"That's not funny…" Kaoru grumbled.

Megumi shrugged one shoulder. "In all seriousness…I suppose I've never really thought about it. Don't see the need to." She handed a small stack to Misao. "Here are some women you might consider replying to..."

"Kaoru!" Kenshin waved at his wife as he and Aoshi strolled across the sand in their direction.

"Hi, Kenshin! Did you have a good swim?" Kaoru handed her husband a towel. Misao took that as her cue and gave Aoshi his. 

"It was very refreshing. Aoshi kept watching the surfers," Kenshin remarked.

"Speaking of which…" Megumi began. "You're supposed to give me a refresher course on surfing, Aoshi."

Those blue-gray eyes glanced in her direction. "I didn't forget..."

            "Good."

            Misao glanced at Megumi then at Aoshi. _Megs and Aoshi? Hmm. Well…_she shrugged mentally. _Megs isn't interested, anyway, so it doesn't matter._

            "Here you go, Misao." Kaoru handed her several emails.

            "What's this?" Kenshin bent slightly, picking up a rolled ball of paper.

            The three women glanced at each other in horror. 

            "Kenshin, no!" Kaoru cried out the same time Misao shouted, "Wait!"

            Both young women dove towards the red-haired man in an effort to prevent him from reading its contents, but they merely bumped heads as Kenshin rose to his feet, unfolding the letter. Megumi cringed, shaking her head. Kenshin's eyes widened to saucers, heat flooding up his neck.

            "Oro…"

            Kaoru covered her eyes in embarrassment…apparently it was one of the more risqué emails.

            Kenshin glanced at Aoshi, who was rubbing a towel over his hair.

            "What?" 

            Megumi bit down on the nail of her index finger as Aoshi snatched the email from Kenshin's shaking hands. Aoshi skimmed it. If he was shocked, he only showed it by a mild lift of his brows. 

            "What is this?"

            "Um…one of your personal ad replies…" Misao admitted sheepishly.

            Aoshi frowned. "I don't even understand half of it."

            "What's not to understand?" Misao shrugged. "She liked your picture, and she…ick…wants to sleep with you."

            "I can see that," he agreed dryly. "But what is a 'Joystick Joyride'? Some-"

            "Actually, I think what she's referring to is when a woman-" Megumi interrupted.

            But Aoshi cut her off. "Never mind."

            Megumi blinked.

            "If you're the only one here who can explain it, I don't want to know what it is."

            Her mouth dropped open. "Meaning what?" she said indignantly.

            As Megumi protested that he didn't let her talk, Aoshi went on to say that her explanation was probably inappropriate for children, and she countered that she didn't get her chance to explain, to which Aoshi responded that he didn't need her to. The fact that she 'knew' the definition for such a strange term was saying enough. Misao pursed her lips as she watched the exchange. _Yeah. Too bad she isn't interested. Then again, he probably isn't either…Ah well. Back to the emails…_


	4. Part 3: The Boss' First Dates

A/N: The later part of the chapter is going to go by very quickly. Almost like you were watching a movie. You'll see what I mean. And see if you guys can name the different types of women Aoshi went out with...

**Part 3: The Boss' First Dates**

_January 29, 2003_

_ Okay. Finally. I actually selected a few women who are going to be Aoshi's dates. I've been emailing them back and forth and it looks like these ladies have some real potential. I can't wait for Aoshi to meet them! He's really going to like them. Some of them all come from different careers and some are different ages. Not too young, not too old. Just right. I can't wait to hear how things are going!!_

_ Oh yeah. Aoshi ran into an old friend today…_

_~ Misao _

Frowning slightly, Aoshi skimmed his handwritten report. One of the ships that had docked at Pearl Harbor needed an upgrade in their weapons system. Glancing at his clock, he had two hours of work left to go. He began typing into his computer. 

"Always the hard worker, Commander," a female voice entered his office.

Aoshi looked up to see Lt. Theresa Williams standing in the doorway. He smiled slightly.

"Theresa…"

She stepped further into the room as he rose to his feet. "How have you been, sir?"

Aoshi closed his office door, gesturing to a chair. "Good. You?"

Theresa sat in the seat he offered. "I'm okay. It's…different without you."

"I'm sure your current superior follows the rules. Always by the book." Aoshi settled in his seat.

To which she grinned and said, "He definitely doesn't break into hotel rooms. So…how is it working for Commander Saitou?"

Pause. "Different." Aoshi leaned forward. "Then again…what I'm doing is different."

            They were quiet for a few moments. He studied his former junior officer. Something was different. She seemed much more confident. And more relaxed. 

"I…never really got to thank you for what you did," Theresa said quietly.

Aoshi looked away. "There's nothing to thank me for."

"I would have done the same for you."

He nodded. "I know."

They sat in silence for several more moments.

"You…remind of someone I worked with," Aoshi began. 

"Oh?"

"Hannya. The loyalty…and strength…are very similar," he continued. "He sacrificed himself when our ship went down…" 

Theresa smiled ruefully. "If…that's a compliment, sir…thank you."

"I meant it as one."

Their eyes met over his desk. He couldn't explain to anyone the bond he shared with his former junior officer. She understood his way of thinking and the way he worked. There were times she disagreed and while she never hesitated to say so, she always kept respect for him. She would risk her life to save his, and he had once already done so. That type of gesture only occurred between two people who ultimately trusted each other.

The phone rang. Glancing quickly at the caller ID, Aoshi activated the speakerphone.

"Misao."

"Hi, Aoshi!" her cheerful voice filled the room. "I'm just calling to tell you to hurry home as soon as you're done. You don't want to be late for your date!"

Theresa muffled a laugh, stopping when Aoshi gave her a look.

"I won't be late," Aoshi assured. "I'm never late."

"I know that, but just reminding you…See you at home!" _Click._

He hung up.

"You're going on a date?" Theresa asked.

He shook his head. "Misao took out a personal ad and has set me up with several women," Aoshi replied.

"Oh, no…" Theresa's shoulders shook in hysteria.

"Did I ever tell you, Lieutenant, that one of your most admirable traits is self-control?" A hint of a smile lifted his lips.

"Was that a joke?" Theresa asked, still struggling not to laugh.

"No." He straightened some papers on his desk. "I'd better finish this…"

"All right." Theresa stood up. "Oh…before I forget…Austin and I are getting married early next year…"

Aoshi's eyes widened slightly. "I take it you two got along very well during our mission…"

"We've always gotten along. We've been friends since the Naval Academy," Theresa explained. Then she grinned. "I don't know…when he asked me…it just…felt right. Have you ever known anyone who just seemed to fit you?"

He blinked. "I…can't say that I have…"

"Well, that's how we are."

"Congratulations," he nodded.

"Thanks. We're looking forward to it. You're invited to the wedding. We're not sure where it's going to be, though…" she sighed.

"You have plenty of time," Aoshi assured.

"Yeah. Anyway, we should have lunch sometime…"

"Of course. You know how to find me."

"See you later, Commander…"

"You are late!" Misao exclaimed as Aoshi stepped inside the house.

Her guardian calmly set his briefcase down before placing his cellular phone, keys and wallet on the small table by the door.

"I was in traffic," he replied.

"Hurry and go take a shower!" Misao ordered, waving her arms madly. "You're supposed to meet her in less than an hour!"

Aoshi headed to his bathroom while pulling on several buttons of his collared khaki uniform shirt.

"Misao, I still need-"

"Aaah!!! I forgot to set out your clothes!" the teenager screeched before hurrying into Aoshi's room. 

As the sound of water filtered through Aoshi's closed bathroom door, Misao shoved his closet door to the side, filing through his clothes, each neatly hung on white plastic hangers, facing the same direction, two finger widths apart. 

"Darn it…Where is…" Misao yanked a pair of khaki cargo pants off one hanger. "Oh good! Now…where's that…shirt…" She pulled out a white tank top and dark blue collared button-down. "Why does he always dress like he buys from Banana Republic?" she muttered. After nicely arranging his clothes on the bed, she fished into his dresser and pulled out a pair of boxers and socks. "Aoshi!" she hollered. "Hurry up!!"

As if on cue, the water shut off. Moments later, Aoshi emerged from the shower, wearing a white terry cloth bathrobe, his eyes shifting to the bed where Misao had set his clothes.

"Misao, what-?"

"Okay, we need to fix your hair. Tell me when you're dressed!" Misao sailed past him to shut his bedroom door behind her so she could leave him in privacy.

She must have paced the hallway outside his room three times before she knocked on the door. 

"Aoshi-"

"I'm done," came the curt reply.

Misao practically battered the door down as she stepped inside his room to see him running a comb through his barely regulation cut hair. Immediately, she began straightening sections of his shirt in the front and back.

"What are you doing?" Aoshi asked, exasperation evident in his voice.

"Making you look nice," Misao replied, her eyes shifting to his face. Then her ocean blue eyes widened with horror. "No, Aoshi! Dracula look is not in! What's wrong with you?!"

"Misao-"

She jumped up, snatching the comb from his hand while mussing his hair slightly. 

"I wasn't finished," Aoshi stated.

The teenager combed several bangs to remove any tangles, but for the most part, she left her guardian's hair untouched, giving his strands a tousled, just emerged from the shower look. "Your hair's short, so it doesn't look too messy left uncombed."

Aoshi rolled his eyes heavenward as Misao opened his vanity cabinet to retrieve several more last minute items.

"Here…I got these for you, too," she announced, pressing four circular objects wrapped in foil into his hand.

Aoshi stared at them before glaring at her. "Why are you giving me condoms?"

Misao shrugged. "Because you might need them."

"I do not-"

"Aoshi, it's okay. I understand you have urges. That's part of being human. I'm mature, I can handle that. You don't always need to be the perfect parent. It's not like I don't know that-"

"I don't need them because I don't plan on sleeping with my date tonight," Aoshi said through gritted teeth. 

"Well, take two just in case."

Aoshi covered his eyes with his hand. "If I take them, will you leave me alone so I can get to my date on time?"

"Oh yeah."

He stuffed them in his pocket before heading to the front door to retrieve his wallet, keys and cell phone.

"Don't forget to hold a white rose when you enter the restaurant. Even if she saw your picture, Cassandra will know it's you." Misao trailed after him, a frown on her pretty features. "Hey, Aoshi…Why are going along with this date thing, anyway?"

"Because it makes you happy," he answered sincerely.

Misao smiled tearfully before throwing her arms around his waist. Then she grimaced as her cheek hit the solid wall of his chest. "Good luck. You look awesome."

A wry smile lifted his lips as he ruffled her hair. "Thank you. I'll see you tonight..."

Misao had given him a brief description of Cassandra, in terms of what her interests were. She had every intention of setting him up with several different women and had shown him the women she had chosen. He had memorized each one's name, age, occupation, hobbies, and faces if a photograph had been included.

He meant what he said. He did want Misao to be happy. And if fixing him up on blind dates was the case, then he'd go on those dates. They had gone through some difficult times over the last few years. He hadn't been a very good father to her, and he was making up for it now.

_The things parents do for their children…_

Aoshi entered the Thai restaurant, holding a white rose that he quickly picked up on his way over.

One woman sat by herself, wearing a V-neck red cotton dress with cutout portions over her shoulders, and at closer look, the curves of her waist. She smiled at him in greeting as she stood up.

"Aoshi?"

He nodded, extending the flower towards her before shaking her outstretched hand.

"I'm Cassandra," she replied. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise."

After letting her sit first, Aoshi then took the seat across from her. She was an attractive woman, with chestnut hair and brilliant green eyes. Makeup seemed to enhance her features, particularly her eyes and lips. 

After they ordered, they engaged in small talk. Occasionally, she'd lean forward deliberately giving him a closer look at her plunging neckline. He'd been around his share of flirtatious women, especially while on shore leave, but he never paid much attention to them. He knew when they were acting up, but he never gave any signs that he was responding to their invitations. Usually women backed off. 

"If you don't mind me asking," he began, "what made you decide to look through personal ads?"

Their order was placed before them. 

She smiled at their server before he left to tend other tables. "Oh…I figured I'd try something new." Tipping her head to the side, she studied him with a quizzical smile on her face. "You seem to be a very reserved person. I'm surprised you put yourself on the internet like that."

He frowned slightly before taking a bite to eat. After chewing slowly, he responded, "I was…following the suggestion of a relative."

"You need a boost in your personal life?" 

"It would seem so," he answered.

"This relative must have a lot of influence…"

"Something like that…" Aoshi said quietly.

They ate for several minutes. 

"So…" she trailed off. "Tell me more about yourself…"

"There isn't much," he admitted. 

"What you see is what you get?" she grinned.

"I work to support myself and my adoptive daughter, I have several athletic interests…" he paused, feeling something slide against the inside of his leg, between his shin and calf. His eyes shot to hers and a mysterious smile crept up her shiny lips.

"Yes?" she prompted in a throaty voice.

"That's…it…really…" He was instantly feeling claustrophobic. While most men would never turn down the attention of an attractive woman, he wasn't like most men. He had no problem letting a woman take the initiative in physical contact, but that was usually after knowing each other for a while. How could he tell her he wasn't _that _interested without causing a scene or upsetting her?

"I think there's a lot more to a person than they realize," she purred.

Thankfully, she set her foot down.

"How so?"

She shrugged. "Well, if you ask one person to describe themselves, they could never really do it…"

"True."

Cassandra sampled a bit of her food. "This is delicious. I've never had this before…"

He went completely still as her foot went to his thigh. It brushed his kneecap before moving higher. 

"I've…never eaten at this restaurant before," Aoshi admitted, his voice easily concealing his discomfort.

Her foot had gone to the inside of his thigh. 

Women were such complicated people. 

"So…how long have you lived on Hawaii…again?" Aoshi asked, already knowing the answer, hoping to distract her.

"Just for the last five years. I love the weather here. It's so beautiful, and the people here are so friendly…" Her foot went even higher inside his thigh, her destination very, very clear. 

"Excuse me." Aoshi reached for his cellular phone, moved his chair backwards and rose to his feet, heading towards the entrance, where he could get a clear reception.

Not that it was needed, since no one called him. But he needed some space to think on what to do. She seemed…friendly enough…and it was very clear what she wanted from him. But he wasn't planning on letting her have that. 

On his way back in, he had passed by their server and asked for the check. Once he sat at the table, Cassandra still regarded him with that predatory look in her eyes. 

"I've asked for the check," he announced. 

Almost immediately, disappointment filtered into those green eyes. "All right."

When the check arrived, Aoshi dropped several twenties and rose to his feet. "Thank you for having dinner with me…" 

"That's it?" she grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving.

"That's it."

"And I left," Aoshi explained, popping the top of his soda can. "I didn't know what to say."

"She must have been so disappointed," Megumi said. "So what did Misao say when you got home?"

"She was…surprised to hear what had happened, but that was the end of Cassandra. She was going to delete her from the email address book."

The two were on a lunch break from work. Around ten that morning, Aoshi had called Megumi's office and invited her to lunch with him. They had agreed to meet at the food court by the exchange promptly at twelve-thirty. The hospital and Intelligence headquarters were literally on opposite sides of the base, but with the exchange in the middle, it seemed to be the appropriate place to meet. 

"She was too aggressive for you," Megumi concluded. Then she grinned. "And we know what you think about aggressive women."

He arched a brow. "There's a difference between aggressive and assertive."

She shrugged. "It's the twenty-first century. Women are taking a lot more initiative in the dating scene." She took a bite of her grilled cheese sandwich. 

"I have no problem with women who take the initiative. I just don't like the idea of her reaching for parts when I barely know her."

"You've never had a couple night stands on shore leave?"

"No."

"Just wondering." She frowned. "But you have bedded a woman before. Right?"

"Is there a point to this conversation?"

"I'm curious," she replied. "You always seem so distant and untouchable." She paused. "That might be another reason why she wanted you so much."

"What?"

"It's kind of a…prize," she mused before taking a sip of her lemon-lime soda. "The player's ultimate prize is the one person who can see right through him…who refuses to go out with him. And yet…if the player manages to get her to go out with him and fall in love with him…it's an accomplishment. It's pretty simple. We want what we can't have. The more it stays out of reach, the more we want it. Why do you think women play hard to get?"

"Because they feel like tormenting men?"

She grinned. "Haven't you ever heard that the chase is the most exciting part of any relationship?"

"Can't say that I have…"

"You need to get out more, Aoshi…"

"I am. I have a date tomorrow and a date Saturday," he retorted. Then his frown disappeared. "Are you going to be at the halau for Misao's hula lesson tomorrow?"

"Considering my aunt, who's her instructor…insists on me being there every Friday night…yes," Megumi smiled. 

"Can you take her home? I'm not sure how long my date will be."

"Sure." Megumi took a bite of her sandwich. "Dependable Megumi, that's me."

He shook his head. She was a kind, considerate, professional doctor as well as a spirited and flirtatious woman. Such a contrast. He had been around her often enough to know that she liked being both.

She smoothed back one of her bangs. Her long black hair had been pinned in a twist, away from her face. She had worn a silk blouse and brown knee-length skirt. Since she wasn't an officer, she didn't have to wear a uniform. But she did have to meet a dress code. She once jokingly told him if she could work in jeans, she would. 

"Who are you going out with tomorrow?" she asked.

"Suzanne. She's a high school art teacher…"

Megumi smiled. "Hopefully she won't be as bad as the first…" 

"I'm totally surprised!" Suzanne squealed, sounding younger than her twenty-seven years, her ponytail of red hair swinging from side to side as she clapped her hands. "I didn't think you'd email me back. It was just so unbelievable!"

Genuine smiles were very hard for Aoshi to fake. And in a situation like this, fake smiles were hard to fake. 

"Your picture looked so good on the internet...but I didn't think you'd look this great in person. You're like..." Her eyes went wide and she raised her arms, palms facing away from her as if trying to spread a curtain. "...the elite of personal ad guys..."

He really didn't know what to say to that. He should have known by her choice of restaurant that he'd be with an...interesting date that night. What kind of woman would select a restaurant with a tropical bird theme as a place to meet? 

His surroundings were gaudy, the noise level was high and the setting was unusually eccentric. The wallpaper had all kinds of tropical birds painted in a rain forest background. Bushes with exotic flowers lined various parts of the restaurant, and birds chained to perches squawked at every person walking by.

He was already feeling a headache thanks to the loud birds. 

"I would absolutely love to paint you!" she said. "You're perfect! Brilliant!"

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Aoshi leaned towards her over the table. At the moment she began talking, every bird in the restaurant had gotten annoyed and began making irritating sounds.

"I would love to paint you! You're the best thing I've ever seen!" she exclaimed.

Flattery didn't do well with Aoshi. Especially from excited women who bounced in their chair for a full three minutes, laughing and joining in the bird squawking...

"He just makes me so mad! I just wish I never went out with him. Two years, and no sign of getting married. It's just...grrrr!" 

Deborah was a petite blonde. And pining over her ex-boyfriend. She had chosen to meet at a Chinese restaurant in the Ala Moana Mall, in Waikiki. 

Did a man have to listen about a woman's emotional problems on the first date? "How long have you two been apart?" Aoshi found himself asking.

"A month. He calls a lot, but I always let the machine pick up."

Aoshi stared at his lemon chicken as if it was the most fascinating thing on Earth. But he was still aware of his surroundings, his eyes catching the movement of a burly man making his way towards them.

"Deborah, you didn't return my calls!" the man called out. Glaring at Aoshi, he barked, "Who the hell are you?"

Before Aoshi could reply, Deborah shot back, "That's not your business. What are you doing here, Stu?"

Then the man's eyes began to fill. "How could you go out on a date with someone at our restaurant, Deb? Like I meant nothing to you?"

Aoshi picked at his meal.

"Don't give me that crap..." Deborah spat out.

"Baby, I love you. I've missed you so much. Let's get married. You and me. We could have that cute wedding you always wanted..." Stu pleaded. 

Aoshi continued to eat.

"You're thinking of marriage now?" she asked.

"Come on, let's get married!" Stu clasped his hands together, his eyes shining with tears. 

"Oh, Stu!" Deborah flew into his arms, smothering him with kisses. Then she pulled back. "You better not be lying to me..."

"Would I do something like that?"

They wrestled to the floor, kissing, hugging, holding each other. Outraged cries in Mandarin filled the restaurant. Aoshi handed twelve dollars to a waitress, indicating he was paying for his share, before promptly leaving.

"I think a man should take care of everything," Lynnette, Aoshi's next date, commented. "Chivalry ain't dead. At least, I don't think so."

She flipped her blonde-brown hair to the side, adjusting her wide sunglasses with brown-tinted lenses. Those sunglasses reminded Aoshi of that one singer/actress...he couldn't seem to remember her name...but Misao mentioned a couple times that she dated a hip hop star and was probably engaged to some actor who was going to play some Marvel superhero in a movie. 

"Women like security," she continued. "We want to know that we're being taken care of..." She signalled for a waitress. "Excuse me. I'd like a New York cheescake and a glass of your finest white champagne." When the waitress left, she turned back to Aoshi. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all..." Aoshi replied, keeping his thoughts to himself.

"I'm tired of broke ass men trying to boss me around, tell me what to do. If they took care of me, maybe then I'd listen. Maybe." She twirled her hair. "Who said we gotta listen to them, anyway?"

The woman had chosen an expensive restaurant in downtown Honolulu as her place to meet. Aoshi didn't mind paying for the date, even if it was a little too expensive, but after hearing her talk...she deliberately chose the restaurant expecting him to pay. 

"I mean, if men just paid more attention to us, we wouldn't be giving them any problems..." she leaned forward. "What's the most expensive gift you'd buy for a girl?"

To which Aoshi said, "A car for my daughter."

"Oh, that's funny! I mean a girlfriend."

"I suppose...an engagement ring?" 

"Then she becomes your fiancee. I meant a girlfriend."

"A necklace," Aoshi replied monotonously.

"How much would you spend on it?"

He blinked. "Depends on what she liked..."

"See...now that's good. Cuz you know she wants to be treated right," Lynnette continued with a smile. "So how much does the government pay colonels like you?"

"Lieutenant commanders," he corrected.

"Same thing."

"Actually, it's not," he replied. When dating a military man, never confuse the branch of service he was in. It should be added onto the list of dating etiquette…whoever…wrote the book on that. 

"So how much?" she pressed.

"I earn enough."

"Don't want to brag, huh?" she grinned. "Is it true they only pay you twice a month on fixed dates, like every fifteenth and thirtieth of the month?"

_What kind of question was that?_ "Yes...why?"

She leaned forward in her seat. "What if a woman wants something on the twenty-seventh of the month and you don't have enough money to buy that platinum necklace. What do you do?"


	5. Part 4: The Vixen and Iceman Play

A/N: And as the title suggests…this chapter is dedicated to Aoshi & Megumi.

**Part 4: The Vixen and Iceman Play**

_February 7, 2003_

_ I didn't think it'd be this awful. ALL of Aoshi's dates ended in disaster. Am I THAT bad in judging people? I could have sworn that these women would be fine! I guess it goes to show how you can't ever really know someone on the net. I figured that some of them wouldn't work out, but I didn't think all of them would be bad! _

_ Aoshi's been pretty good...he's been frustrated, I can tell, but he isn't really mad. I mean, he went out with some man-eater, a gold digger...I'm surprised he hasn't killed anybody. I probably would have. =P _

_ I only have one week left to set him up with someone. And he's been going out every night since the last day of January. And no luck whatsoever. Doesn't he know that every day is critical?? He told me a couple nights ago that he didn't want to go out on a date tonight. He has plans to take Megs surfing. Maybe he needs some time off. Getting into the dating season must be hard if you're not used to it..._

_~ Misao_

"Any luck finding Miss Right?" Megumi asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," Aoshi replied swiftly, setting two surfboards down onto the sand.

"That bad?" she asked sympathetically. 

He glanced at her and looked away. "Let's say I'm glad to be out with a woman who isn't materialistic or driven by hormones," he muttered.

"Was that a compliment, Commander?" she teased. "I should cherish that…words of flattery from you are so rare…"

He shot her a look. "You know what I meant."

Megumi lifted her brows before adjusting the straps of her two-piece purple swimsuit. "Well, I'm definitely not materialistic..." She grinned when he rolled his eyes. Then she began to gather her hair in a ponytail braid. "Who's giving Misao a ride home from hula lessons tonight?"

"Danielle," Aoshi answered. "Misao is going to be with friends tonight..." He tossed her a circular package of wax, which she caught.

Megumi hadn't been surfing in a long time. Close to ten years. A long time ago she used to practice the sport with her two brothers. A lot had changed the more involved she got into her college studies. She was thankful Aoshi had chosen a beach on the eastern shore, away from crowds. As she rubbed the wax over portions of the board, she glanced out at the waves. 

It was nice to live on an island.

She listened as Aoshi gave her a quick refresher course on how to catch waves and stand up on the board. Then she asked a couple questions about wiping out, which he answered. Both of their boards were eight feet in length, longboards easier to control that could handle larger waves. After attaching the leash to her ankle, Megumi began to wade into the ocean. Once waist-high in the water, Megumi looked over the water again.

"Are you nervous?" a voice came up to her right side.

"Me? Hardly," she replied.

A small knowing smile crossed his face. "Ladies first."

Megumi quickly sat on her longboard and began paddling out. 

"Balance and speed are the key..." he reminded, his voice fading as she moved away. 

_All right, already, _Megumi used her arms one by one to go further from shore. The sound of surf entered her ears, the smell of sea and salt surrounded her. A wave with a white foaming crest began traveling to shore. Working quickly as she could, she paddled to catch the wave, then jumped to her feet to ride it out. 

It was an exhilarating experience, as if flying. But something felt wrong…

She let out a startled cry as the board slipped out from under her and flew into the air. Megumi did a flip in midair, her surfboard slapping against her rear end, before she landed in a belly flop. Megumi barely had time to take a breath before hitting the water. When she resurfaced, she came up coughing, pushing her bangs away from her eyes.

"Are you all right?"

She grabbed her board and nodded at Aoshi, who had paddled next to her.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Megumi responded, glancing over her shoulder at him. He sat in a kneeling position on top of his white surfboard with a blue stripe down the middle. The blue board shorts he wore were tied just below his navel, the bottom hem reaching the top of his knees. 

"That looked like it stung," he said.

She caught the glint in his eyes. He must have seen the board smack against her. "I don't know what you're talking about…"

"You must recover quickly, then," he commented, his eyes smiling now.

"You enjoyed that," she accused, her cheeks burning. It took a lot to get to her. But one couldn't control things like…gravity. 

"Remember what I said about balance?" he prompted, a slight smirk on his face.

With one arm draped over her board for support, she pushed against his shoulder, causing him to fall into the water. "Balance this…"

She turned back to her board, gasping as she felt something…someone…latch onto her ankle. Megumi kicked with her other leg, her eyes widening as Aoshi seized her other ankle and pulled her down. The sound of waves magnified under water. Megumi quickly swam to the surface, where a blurred version of the sun hovered.

"What was that for?" she demanded. She was about ready to shake him.

"Gauging your reaction time. You need to react quickly in order to surf," he declared as he settled on his board.

"Bite me," she retorted.

"Maybe later," he replied. Then he paddled away, fully intent on enjoying the waves before the sun dipped below the horizon.

_He's getting better with his comebacks. _Megumi couldn't help but smile, watching as he easily moved over the water.

At the sound of the door opening, Misao looked up from her computer. Aoshi entered the house, wearing a white and blue Hawaiian shirt, his shorts wrinkled from all the wear in the water. His uniform hung on a hanger which he crooked over his finger. She glanced at the clock. It was nearly ten.

"Did you have fun?" Misao asked.

Aoshi placed his wallet and keys in their usual spots. "Yes, I did…" 

"Did you eat?" she pressed. "I made chicken salad…" She pointed to the kitchen. "It's in the fridge."

"I had dinner over an hour ago, but thank you."

"With Megs?" she prompted.

"Yes." Aoshi settled on the plush leather recliner in the family room. 

Misao perched on the arm rest of the sofa. "You know…with all the times that you and Megs have lunch during work…"

"We've only met for lunch twice since I started work," he corrected, leaning back in his chair.

"Right…Anyway…I'm surprised you two never really got together. I mean, you two get along pretty well…especially now that you've gotten used to her playette ways." Misao shrugged. When the phone rang, she dashed to her room, calling over her shoulder, "I'll get it!" 

Interesting comment his daughter just made. Not that Aoshi had anything against the lady doctor. She was beautiful, intelligent, caring…assertive, argumentative, unpredictable…She was…Megumi.

A faint smile came to his features. 

_February 8, 2003_

_ Aoshi went out with Megs. Again. Doesn't he know that time is important? What if he spends all day surfing with her and gets tired? He won't be awake for his date tonight! What is wrong with him? This is no time to be fooling around! I have two dates set up for him tomorrow…one at lunch, one at dinner. Even if he's had bad luck with previous women. I only have 6 days left! Aaaahhh! What am I going to do?_

_~ Misao_

"You can't go out like this!" Misao exclaimed, walking out of the house holding an ice chest. "What about your date tonight?" 

Aoshi adjusted his surfboard on the rack of the pickup truck he had bought at a used car lot for the sole purpose of carrying a surfboard. "I'll be back in the afternoon." He took the chest from her and placed it in the back bed, securing it with nylon rope.

"It's…" Misao practically jerked her wrist to her chin. "Ten-thirty. By the time you two get to the beach, it'll be almost noon. Your date is at six. If you had your way, you'd surf till the sun sets."

"True."

Ignoring the smug look on his face, Misao turned her features into disapproval. "What time are you going to be home?" she queried, hands on her hips.

Aoshi regarded her with an amused smile. "I thought I was the parent around here…"

"I'm being serious, Aoshi…"

"I'll be home by four-thirty," he promised. 

"Are you sure?" she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. It reminded him of the times he used to give her a present he just bought out of the blue…she'd always thought something was going to jump out of the box.

"Does an officer ever break his word?"

"Depends…"

"Misao…"

"Hey, I think it's cool that you're chillin with Megs and all…I mean…you _so need a social life-"_

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," he interrupted flatly. 

"I mean, I thought once you got back to work, goodbye to everyone who knew you!" Misao waved her hand. She frowned in thought. "Then again…Megs is the expert on dating. I'm sure she can help you out…give you some hints or something…so…maybe you going out with her isn't so bad." She gasped suddenly. "Or maybe you'll just attract more women when you're at the beach!!"

He stared at her, dumbfounded. "What…I don't…?"

"Megs told me once that a taken man is so attractive. Maybe the beach girls will think she's with you and 'innocently' go up and talk to you."

Aoshi grasped her shoulders. "Misao…I'm only going to surf. No women. No dating. Not for this part of the day."

But she wasn't listening. "Then again…this is Megs…I mean…she looks good in a bikini, has brains, so I wouldn't be surprised if no woman comes up to you-"

"I never noticed," Aoshi cut in, wondering where the conversation was going.

"And you're supposed to be in Intelligence," Misao replied.

Aoshi glanced at his watch.

"How come Misao didn't want to go with you this time?" Megumi asked, spreading sunblock over her arms.

"She was going to spend the day watching TV," Aoshi responded as he tried to rub the old wax off his board with a rubber spatula. 

"Do you have any more dates planned?"

"One tonight and two tomorrow," Aoshi answered. 

"Two?" Megumi inquired. 

"Lunch and dinner."

"You're a very busy person…" she commented. "She's really set on finding this girlfriend for you by Valentine's Day…"

"It's not going to happen," Aoshi answered.

"Why's that?" Megumi sat on the sand beside him.

Aoshi frowned. "If the past selection is all I have had so far…that says little…"

"Maybe they will be good prospects."

"You're more optimistic," he mused.

"They couldn't have been that bad…" She grinned. "Especially Cassandra."

"She was terrible..."

"You know what your problem is?" Megumi spoke up.

To which he looked heavenward. "No. But you're going to tell me..."

"You can't handle women with fire," she murmured. "They get too close and you instantly pull away..." She really enjoyed teasing him. She knew that it annoyed him from time to time, but she'd almost think he had gotten used to it. "Just because they get close doesn't mean they'll bite. Hard."

"Funny," he said dryly as she moved to sit next to the ice chest, lifting the lid.

"Why laugh when you could be doing other things?" she shot back, placing an ice cube in her mouth. 

He shook his head. "I wonder how you do it…"

"Do what?" She fought the urge to crunch on ice, knowing it wasn't good for her teeth. The last thing she needed were hairline cracks on her teeth. 

"See so many people at once."

"It passes the time," she said impishly. Then she shrugged. "But I've seen a lot of pigs, too…But they weren't all bad. The last man I was serious about…as you know…was Sanosuke."

"How is he?"

"He and Katherine are doing well. When I last called, Sano told me that he and Kat already picked the reception hall and talked to the priest. Wedding plans are already on their way. They're supposed to meet with caterers next month."

"Have they selected a date?"

"December. I can't remember the exact date…but I know it's in December." Megumi smiled. "He sounds so excited, but stressed at the same time. They're both hoping that he doesn't have to go on ship before or the day of the wedding."

Aoshi nodded his head in the direction of the water after he applied a new coat of wax. "Are you ready?"

"Almost…" Megumi bent slightly to wax her rental board.

Time was the least of their concerns as they spent a good portion of the afternoon out on the water. Megumi had picked up surfing rather quickly, and she didn't have any humiliating experiences that particular day. She wiped out a lot, but she managed to stay on her board a few times as well. They'd break for a late lunch and help themselves to the chicken salad sandwiches and cold soda in the ice chest he had brought with him. They talked, and Megumi discovered what Aoshi's life had been like prior to joining the Navy. And she talked about medical school, growing up with two brothers. Then they hit the water again.

"I had a really good time," Megumi commented as they headed toward the showerhead to rinse the salt water off. It was getting late in the afternoon, judging by the position of the sun in the West.

They had placed their boards by their picnic spot and grabbed their towels. 

"Same here…" And he realized he did. He liked being in her company. He felt more…relaxed around her. 

She kicked off her flipflops as they reached the public showerhead, a very simple showerhead attached to a stone wall. A black rubber grid-like mat was placed on the floor, allowing water to pass through to escape into a drain at the corner of the shower. She hung their towels over a metal rail beside the shower. "Hmm…" Megumi tried to turn the knob, but failed. 

"Here…" Aoshi reached around her arm and after a few seconds, the knob turned and water sprayed over them. "It wasn't loosened from the last time you used it…"

Megumi reached up to remove her hair from its constricting ponytail braid while he stepped back and waited his turn. 

"Do you think I can surf in Waikiki now?" she asked teasingly.

"You need a little more practice," he commented. "You might run into people." Cupping his hands together, he gathered some water before splashing his face and neck.

She smiled slightly. "What's wrong? You either don't trust your teaching or me."

"Do you really want my answer to that?" he responded. He opened his mouth in protest as she seized his wrist and pulled him forward beneath the spray. 

"Will you relax?" she reasoned. With a mischievous smile, she moved so she stood behind him, releasing a sigh of appreciation as her hands glided over the powerful muscles of his upper back. He really was a good-looking man, with chiseled features and piercing blue-gray eyes. And a well-defined torso women would beg higher powers the opportunity to explore. "Now this is conserving water…"

"Megumi…" he warned.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you're adorable when you're uncomfortable?" she asked, dropping her hands. She stepped in front of him, moving so just an inch separated them. "Aoshi…"

His frown disappeared as he looked down at her, her dark eyes swimming with an emotion he couldn't name. She looked ethereal…vulnerable…her hands slowly reaching up, grasping his shoulders, as her head tilted back. A light puff of air escaped her lips, brushing against his own.

Then those dark eyes twinkled with mischief as her lips widened into a smile. "I have to go now…so I'll see you later…"

He narrowed his eyes, watching as she ducked away. He watched her move towards the parking area until her form disappeared. One day…he was going to call that woman's bluff… 

A/N: Megumi's so bad, isn't she? =P 


	6. Part 5: A Time to Quit?

**Part 5: A Time to Quit?**

Aoshi glanced at his watch. It couldn't be six-fifteen already. Where was Charlie? He was not fond of tardiness. Nothing was worse than having to wait for someone. Frowning, he studied his fork and knife. Silverware was unusually fascinating right now. Aoshi opened the menu to read the dinner items, just for the sake of giving himself something to do. 

A statuesque blonde entered the restaurant, her hair held up in a high ponytail. She wore a sleeveless tunic top and flared leggings. He looked up as she caught sight of him. Smiling, she made her way towards him.

"You must be Aoshi," she sat in the chair across from his as he rose to his feet.

"It's nice to meet you," Aoshi responded politely.

After she ordered a chicken salad and he a lemon-herbed chicken with rice pilaf and vegetables, she leaned forward eagerly. 

"So…tell me about yourself…"

"There really isn't much," Aoshi began. "I'm a naval officer…and I-"

"I have a kendo classmate who's a naval officer," she piped up. "Lieutenant junior grade. He loves the Navy. Anyway, go ahead."

"And I like my work," he continued.

"You have a sixteen-yr-old daughter, right?"

"I think of her as my daughter, even if she isn't really related to me," Aoshi answered. 

"That's so sweet. Do you have a picture?"

Aoshi paused. This was the first time a woman had ever asked to see a picture of Misao. The first time any of his dates acknowledged that he had someone else important in his life. He pulled out his wallet, retrieved a small photograph of Misao perched on a rock by the ocean. She was wearing a pink tank top and blue jean shorts, her sunglasses perched on the top of her head. Her cropped, short hair barely reached her shoulders.

Charlie peered at the photograph. "She's so pretty. She almost looks like this girl in my kendo class."

"Thank you…" He put the photograph away.

"Does she surf, like you?"

"Yes, but she has other hobbies as well. Photography, hula dancing…"

"This girl in my kendo class does the hula. She's so graceful. And she learns forms so quickly! When one of the guys asked her how she was able to learn, it's because she dances." Charlie started laughing. "We joked with her a couple times, saying she'd hula kendo one day!"

Aoshi nodded. "You must have an entertaining class."

"Sometimes. So…" 

Their food arrived, stopping the conversation. Aoshi wasn't feeling very hungry. Even after he had spent the afternoon surfing. He'd normally have a ravenous appetite. That chicken salad sandwich wasn't filling enough. But it didn't take a genius to figure out why his heart wasn't into the meal.

"I bet this is better than ship food," she commented.

After sampling his meal, he replied, "It really depends on the cook. Several can-"

"Oh, this one time, during kendo, one of my classmates started sharing a recipe for this nine-layer chip dip. And everyone decided to write it down."

"Sounds-"

"And another time, during kendo…"

Aoshi glanced at his watch. It was going to be a long evening…

"Did you see the way she looked? Someone like her shouldn't even be walking out in public…" Diane sniffed.

Aoshi released a breath. His Sunday lunch date…from the very beginning…had insisted on glaring at every single female who walked into the seafood restaurant. 

As a young couple passed by them, Diane's blue eyes narrowed as she and the female sized each other up.

"I think it's so rude when people stare down others," Diane scoffed once the couple passed them. 

He lifted a brow. "Really?"

"Absolutely. People mind their own business, and here is someone trying to make them feel insignificant…"

Aoshi looked heavenward. Luckily, she didn't notice. "It's a misunderstanding."

"Yeah, right. I know what that tramp is thinking when she's looking at me!" Diane exclaimed.

He was a patient man. A very patient man. "What is she thinking?"

"She's thinking, 'That bitch better come nowhere near my man! She thinks she's better than me, but she ain't all that!' That's what goes on in their heads."

_Where did this woman get her ideas? "That's assuming too much," he said politely._

"No, it ain't. I thought the same thing when I had a man," Diane claimed. "Besides, why are you so nice about it? Haven't you thought something about somebody and was right?"

"Most of the time," he admitted.

"Were you wrong on anything?"

_A couple of things, he thought to himself, picking at his meal. _Blaming myself for Beshimi, Hyottoko, Shikijo and Hannya's deaths…the way I was raising Misao…the way I treated Megumi after the hospital case…He_ was a different man back then. And it hadn't been too long ago. After taking several bullets to save Theresa, he had gotten a new outlook on life. He was slowly working on it. The first step he had made was to become a better father to Misao. That had involved putting family first, work second. And after that...much to Misao's delight, he started having a social life. He started going to parties being held by his coworkers. He spent more time with Himura, his wife, and Megumi. "I never encountered stare down matches like you," he responded. _

"Well, you go through enough and you'll understand what it's like…" 

_February 10, 2003_

_ This is it. I have one more date for Aoshi and that's it. I don't know who else will work and I have a few days left. I'm officially done. Aoshi's been really…I don't know…tired, I guess? After all those dates and nothing to show for it, I don't blame him. I'd be mad, too. I'm really stuck, diary. I really had hoped I'd find someone for Aoshi…but maybe I'm going about it the wrong way…_

_~ Misao_

At the food court of the Navy exchange, Aoshi slowly stirred his beef chow mein with his chopsticks. His patience had worn thin. He was exhausted. Over a week of unsuccessful dates straight in a row, he was tired. And he still had one more.

Ever since their time at the beach, Megumi had been on his mind, filtering in at the most unexpected times. Like now. How could anyone think of her when eating chow mein?

"Aoshi."

He looked up to see Himura holding a paper bag of items. Toiletries and cleaning supplies, from the look of it.

"Himura."

"How are you?" the shorter man took a seat across from him. 

"Good…" 

"You hardly ate," Kenshin pointed out with a brief smile.

"It doesn't…seem appealing anymore," Aoshi explained. His eyes shifted to the other man, who was studying him carefully. He then leaned back in his chair. "How is the school doing?"

Kenshin smiled. "It's doing well. Kaoru has added an additional class to compensate for the amount of kenjitsu students…"

"That's good news…Your wife is very enthusiastic about her teachings."

Silence. Then…"Several years ago the Kamiya Dojo needed a part-time assistant. Kaoru was managing the school after her father suddenly passed away," Kenshin began. "I volunteered to help her three times a week."

"And…as they say…the rest is history?" Aoshi quoted.

"It took a long time for me to realize how much I enjoyed being with her," Kenshin continued. He smiled. "I hear Misao's matchmaking hasn't been easy on both of you…" At Aoshi's nod, his smile widened. "Some take longer than others anticipate."

"Very true."

"Is Misao going to be disappointed that she couldn't meet the deadline?" 

Aoshi frowned slightly. He shouldn't be surprised that Himura knew the details of his personal life. Misao was probably shooting emails to Kaoru every day. "I think so."

"I just find it interesting that of all the women you spent time with…there wasn't a single person you would consider seeing a second time…"

Aoshi shrugged, his eyes taking a thoughtful look. "It just happened that way…"

"Well…I had better go…Today is my day off and I have plenty of errands to do…" Kenshin declared.

As Kenshin walked away, Aoshi caught sight of Megumi coming from the Chinese takeout restaurant, a small cardboard box full of Chinese cartons in her arms. As if sensing his eyes on her, Megumi waved the fingers of one hand in his direction before heading his way. 

"Hi, Aoshi," she greeted. Then she peered into the distance. "Was that Kenshin?"

"Yes. He has a day off today…" Aoshi rose to his feet to assist her.

But she held fast. "It's okay. I have to get going soon, all this is for the pediatrics, OB/GYN and internal medicine staff. I just thought I'd come over and say hi."

Wisps of black hair brushed her cheeks. She tossed her head back to keep her bangs out of her eyes. The gray cap-sleeve collared dress she wore looked as if it was made of silky fabric, and it flowed with her every movement.

Somehow she had gotten to him. At first, he thought it might be because they had spent the day together. A person is bound to feel closer to an individual after that. But then he recalled that from the beginning, there had been a constant tug-of-war. Perhaps he and the lady doctor wasn't a bad idea. She was just a few years younger than him, intelligent, beautiful...clearly enjoyed one of his hobbies, and was a good friend to his daughter. Of all the women he had met or known...she seemed the most appropriate. Now, he wasn't the type of person to rush into anything. He was more than willing to take things one day at a time. But once he made up his mind about something...

"I had fun on Saturday," she said, interrupting his thoughts. "Maybe you should bring Misao and her friends next time…"

Now was as a good time as any. 

"Megumi-" he began.

"Ooh, I have to go, I'm running late." She took several steps before looking over her shoulder. "I heard from Misao that you have a date tonight. Good luck!"

_Nice try, Shinomori. Why didn't you say anything? He frowned. There'd be other opportunities…_

"I think you would look incredible next to me."

Aoshi blinked. "What?"

Natalie leaned forward, a seductive smile on her collagen-full lips. "You would look so good next to me…wearing nothing but a silk thong."

He fought to swallow his bite of dinner. "I…I…don't wear that type of underwear…"

"It would really match the silk boxers my other partner would be wearing."

"Your what?"

Natalie smiled again. "Oh, the three of us would have so much fun together in bed…"

"I…I…Are you suggesting that…" Aoshi paused. "I…I think you misunderstood. I took that personal ad because-"

"Because you want a woman," Natalie purred. "It's understandable. I answered that ad because I wanted you. You and Reginald look very similar…nice tan…dark hair, pale eyes…he's already agreed to do this…we're just waiting for you to-"

"I'm sorry…but this is not what I had in mind when I…replied to your email…"

She covered his hand with his. "How about I try to convince you?"

_How about no?_

He tried to pull his hand back. No luck. "Listen. I-"

"Haven't you ever done something so adventurous? We'd have a good time, you know…" Her other hand traveled up his arm.

"I can't do this," he said abruptly, rising in his chair.

He dropped several bills on the table before quickly exiting the restaurant. His cell phone shook against his hip. Aoshi pulled it off his belt clip, glancing at the caller ID, which displayed in clear text 'Megumi'. 

"Good timing," he murmured, flipping his phone on. "Hello?"

"Aoshi, hi. I'm sorry to bother you…are you still on your date?"

"No, why?"

"Do you know how to change a flat tire?" Megumi asked sheepishly. 

He frowned. "Where are you?"

            Less than ten minutes later, Aoshi was in the parking lot of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, where she had dinner with her aunt. After retrieving the spare tire from her trunk, he placed a jack under Megumi's Lexus. 

"You need to learn how to put a spare on," Aoshi stated as he peered under her car. "This…" he indicated to the jack, "goes between the two circles on the frame of the car."

            Megumi carefully arranged her skirt around her legs before bending down. "Oh…."

            He began to turn the crank handle until the car lifted. Once at the right height, he explained and demonstrated how to remove the tire and replace it. The process didn't take very long, much to her surprise. Once the car was safely on the ground, he lifted the flat tire to place it back in the trunk. Megumi occupied herself by putting the tools away. 

            "Thank you for-" she spoke and rose to her feet, turning, her front colliding against Aoshi's chest.

            Immediately, his hands reached up to steady her, grasping her arms above her elbows. She swallowed as the most unusual feeling came to her. It was more than just getting the wind knocked out of her. She wasn't sure what it was, but…

            "Are you all right?" he asked.

            "I…I think so…" She swallowed again. The pressure of his fingers on her bare arms caused every hair to stand on end. His touch on her skin was light, but enough so that if she even breathed, she was afraid he'd either hold her tighter or let her go. And she wasn't sure which one she wanted. The idea brought tension to her chest and belly. Immediately recognizing her reactions to him, she rationalized that she had to be tired. That could only explain why Aoshi Shinomori suddenly seemed very, very appealing to her. Yes. That had to be it. Then his hands dropped. She became aware of the tools in her hand. "I…I…" _Talk, Megumi! "I was giving these to you to put away."_

            He easily plucked the bag of tools from her hand and stored them in the trunk. She braced a hand on her forehead then her cheek. _Temperature okay. Strange…  _

"We should get the car to a shop," he suggested. "Follow me…"

And he headed to his car. She immediately went to her vehicle and he led her to the nearest auto shop. 

An attendant in blue overalls came, clipboard in hand. "Need to patch a tire?"

"I need a whole new set," she answered.

"We're closing in a few minutes…all of our mechanics have already left, but I can take your order information and have everything ready for you by ten a.m. tomorrow."

Megumi shrugged. "I have work, so I'll have to pick it up later."

"That's fine. We'll hold it until you're ready." He proceeded to walk around her car, writing instructions on the paper attached to the clipboard. 

She glanced at Aoshi. "Do you mind giving me a ride home?"

"You think I was planning to leave you here?"

She grinned, pushing the strange feeling she had earlier to the back of her mind. 

When Aoshi pulled into her apartment complex, Megumi gave him a brief smile.

"Would you like to come in for a few minutes?"

Normally, he turned down any invitations from women to enter their apartments. But this was Megumi. And he enjoyed being around her…something he was quickly discovering.

"Why not?" He turned the ignition off.

Megumi's apartment was decorated in good taste. Simple pastels and creams were her favorite colors. 

Aoshi picked up a photograph of Megumi in a graduation gown, standing next to her father.

"Was this from medical school?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes…" 

"He must have been very proud of you on that day…" 

"He was. Something to drink?"

"Water…is fine." Aoshi followed her into the kitchen. It felt unusual to be inside her home. During all the time they had known each other, she usually came by his place. For the strangest reason…it felt…safer. But her home…it seemed…inappropriate. When he thought about it…maybe because…in her home, they were truly alone. At his home, Misao was always around.

"How is the girlfriend search going?" she asked, placing a glass of water in front of him.

"Badly," he admitted before drinking. 

"What happened?" 

"There was something wrong with each one…" Aoshi mused. 

"Misao will be disappointed…"

"I appreciate what she's done…but…" He shrugged. 

"She cares. She just doesn't want you to be lonely," Megumi responded. Megumi then said teasingly, "It's a good thing I know who you are and I'm not the type to answer online ads. You wouldn't stand a chance."

He arched a brow. "I've done fairly well so far."

"But we aren't dating." She grinned.

_Yet. "Megumi-"_

His cell phone rang. Aoshi glanced at the caller ID. 

"Misao."

"Aoshi, where are you?"

Not keeping his eyes off the lady doctor, he replied, "With Megumi…she had a flat tire so I helped her take her car in for service."

"Oh. Can you buy ice cream on the way home?"

"Yes."

"Thanks, you're the best!" _Click._

"I should go home…Misao's waiting," he explained to Megumi. "I'll be here just after seven tomorrow to take you to work."

She smiled mischievously. "I won't be dressed."

He shook his head. "Megumi..." he paused. Timing seemed bad right now. There was always tomorrow. "I'll see you tomorrow," he added as he exited her apartment.

That woman. She certainly was full of surprises. But then again…Megumi was Megumi. Things were certainly never dull with her around. He smiled slightly. That was one of the things he noticed most about her…and…one of the things he liked about her. He found predictability too dull sometimes. 


	7. Part 6: The Vixen Eludes Iceman

**Part 6: The Vixen Eludes Iceman **

_February 11, 2003_

_ Okay, I've thought of someone who might actually work. Challenge will be how to get the two of them together. I think Megs and Aoshi would do pretty well. Now I know that I thought earlier that it wouldn't work because she wasn't interested in him. But they get along great! And they'd have kids that'd stop traffic. Not to say that they'd go that far, but you know what I mean. She respects him and his work…she understands what it's like to work hard. She's smart, she's funny…and best of all, she stands up to him. I don't think Aoshi would want a meek woman. I remember her saying that she and Aoshi never went out because she never thought about it. So how would I get her to start thinking…?_

_ Oh yeah, did I ever mention how dumb Aoshi can be sometimes? I wonder how someone in Intelligence can be so freaking clueless…_

_~ Misao_

After raising his hand to ring the doorbell, he waited. And waited. Aoshi glanced at his watch, which read seven-zero-three. He rang again.

He must have waited several more minutes. He had work early today since a ship was due to arrive for some refueling. He had no intention of being late. But he didn't want to leave her behind. What if she was still asleep? Aoshi moved towards his car to retrieve something.

Fortunately for him, Megumi lived in a fairly secluded area of her apartment complex. No one would bother him as he unlocked her front door.

Knowing Megumi, she was probably still asleep. But she'd wake soon enough. With a splash of cold water on her face. Aoshi smirked. She'd hate him for that…

Megumi shut off her hairdryer before pinning her hair up in its usual twist. She spent just a few minutes applying makeup before she exited her bathroom to enter her bedroom…only to find a tall man in khaki uniform standing in her bedroom doorway. 

She stepped back in surprise, but held her composure. Wonderful. He knew how to pick locks and deadbolts?

When his eyes caught sight of her, they widened before immediately looking away. 

Megumi gestured to the black lace slip she usually wore beneath dresses for work. Never mind that it had a flesh tone lining underneath, he didn't know that. As far as he could tell, that was her skin tone. "If I knew you'd be breaking in, I would have worn less." She tugged at one thin strap, a slow smile curving her lips. 

He immediately grabbed for the doorknob, knocking his hand against it. Cringing, he tried to reach for it again, keeping his eyes averted from her, "I'm sorry…you didn't answer when I rang the doorbell…"

"Of course," she said sweetly as he pulled the door towards him. Her eyes widened slightly as he banged the door against his toe.

Aoshi let out a low sound of pain. 

"Are you all right?" she stepped forward.

"Yes," he barked, glancing up, then back down to the carpet. "You…get dressed. I'll…wait out here…" The door shut firmly behind him as he turned to leave.

She stood still for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. While most women would have easily been embarrassed in a situation like that, Megumi wasn't. He had seen her in a bathing suit, after all, and that had been much more revealing than what she was currently wearing. She caught her reflection in the closet mirror and grinned. Well, not by much…but still. 

She pulled on a gray dress with a pointed collar before opening the door. Aoshi was in her living room, examining a flower vase. He was ready to go, judging by the fact that he had put his shoes on and stood by the front door.

"I didn't mean to walk in," he explained when she entered his peripheral vision. "I didn't realize you'd still be…getting ready for work." 

"I told you I wouldn't be ready by the time you got here," she reminded.

"I thought you were joking," he responded. Almost hesitantly, his eyes moved to focus on her, as if seeing if she was appropriately dressed. Once he saw she was, his eyes traveled over her form. 

She lifted slender brows. "You've had your free show, Commander." 

Aoshi forced his gaze away. She'd almost swear he was blushing beneath his healthy tan. 

"But I might be convinced to give you an encore," she said teasingly. "And you'll see a lot more skin this time around…" Had flirting with him always been this exciting? She wasn't sure. Reaching out, she ran the nail of her index finger along the back of his hand. 

"I didn't mean to…" He jerked his hand away and pulled open the front door. "I'll be waiting in the car."

Once he got in the car, he had a few moments to settle. He had seen enough women to know what they looked like. But this was Megumi. Aoshi tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. He honestly didn't mean to walk in on her. What irritated him the most was that he was trying to apologize, but she insisted on provoking him. Did that woman ever stop…even just for a minute?

_No._

He closed his eyes. Why did he have to have the worst timing? Or best, depending on how one looked at it. He thought he could start new, bring up the subject of dating slowly, and see her reaction to it. But now…everything was thrown off. 

"Is it safe to come in?" 

His eyes flew open and he saw Megumi peering back at him from the passenger's side. He flicked a button on the driver's side to unlock her door. 

"You all right?" she asked as she settled beside him. 

"Yes." Aoshi cleared his throat. She probably knew he wasn't feeling too comfortable with what happened. So how was a man supposed to ask his lady friend out on a date after seeing her wearing next to nothing? Most men would have easily seized the opportunity, but he wasn't most men. 

"You don't have to give me a ride to the shop today…my father's going to," she explained as he started the engine and began driving to Pearl Harbor. 

"Absolutely. I think the new expansion to the base will prove useful," Commander Hajime Saitou commented to his wife. 

Aoshi half-listened to Cmdrs. Saitou and Takagi's conversation. 

"Considering the location, it's an excellent idea," Tokio Takagi continued.

Aoshi set his fork aside. The food court by the exchange was busy as always during lunch break. His superior had arrived with his wife not too long after Aoshi sat down. Ever the gentleman, Aoshi offered them seats at his table since the area was so crowded.

As he drank his soda, he noticed Megumi walking with bags of foam boxes containing food. She meandered her way through tables, occasionally greeting people she knew.

Then he noticed that Saitou and Tokio's conversation stopped and both pairs of eyes were on him. Aoshi immediately picked up his fork and began to eat again. Tokio looked at her husband curiously, frowning slightly as Saitou's head turned to look over his shoulder. When he turned back, he smirked slightly.

Aoshi merely continued eating.

Saitou glanced at his wife. "Isn't she dating that tree-hugging, peace-loving loser?" Saitou asked. He turned to Aoshi. "You went with him to your girl's school to do a little marketing for the Navy."

"Greenleaf," Aoshi supplied. 

"As far as I know, they went out several times, but that's it. Greenleaf's a nice boy," Tokio interjected. "And he believes in a cause. Just like you, darling."

"Don't ever compare me to him," Saitou replied, disgust clearly on his face. 

Aoshi hid a smile. "Excuse me…" He rose to his feet and walked over to the doctor. But not before hearing…

"Hajime, you are not smoking that in front of me…"

"Megumi," Aoshi spoke up once he was closer.

She looked up, smiling in response. "Aoshi."

"Delivering food again?" he prompted.

She lifted her bags in a showing gesture. "Like always."

He cleared his throat. "About this morning…"

"It's all right…It was an accident," she assured him.

Aoshi nodded. "Yes. I also wanted to ask you if-"

"Commander, what a nice surprise," a male voice interrupted.

Captain Takani came up on his daughter's right side, bags in hand as well. He had excellent timing. 

"Good afternoon, sir," Aoshi responded.

The captain returned the polite greeting. "Good afternoon. It's been a while…how have you been doing since your last assignment?"

"I've been doing well," Aoshi answered honestly. 

"How do you like your new job?" 

"It's…different. But no less important."

He nodded. "Good to hear. Megumi, I'm going to go ahead and take these to the car…"

"Let me assist you," Aoshi reached for two bags from Megumi's hands.

"It's okay, Aoshi," she assured him, but he helped her anyway, following the captain to his car.

Once everything was loaded into the captain's vehicle, the older man nodded in thanks. 

"Commander, I have a favor to ask…" Ryuusei Takani came forward, his tone serious.

Megumi looked at him curiously as she opened the passenger side door. 

"What's that, sir?" Aoshi glanced at Megumi before meeting the captain's direct gaze.

"I have a late meeting today, so if you could take Megumi to the auto shop, I'd appreciate it." 

Aoshi blinked as Megumi's lips parted in shock.

"What late meeting?" she blurted.

"Oh, you know…with several commanding officers of the units. We need to discuss something that has come up recently," her father responded quickly. 

"Of course," Aoshi replied. Then he looked at Megumi. "I'll be at your office at five."

She smiled back falsely. "Okay. Thanks."

Once her father got back on the road, Megumi crossed her legs and studied him carefully.

"There is no late meeting today, Father."

"Yes, there is," Ryuusei responded innocently.

"What are you up to?"

"When have you ever objected to spending time with Commander Shinomori?" her father continued, turning the table on her.

"Never, really," she admitted. 

Her father had made it very clear his opinion on Lt. Commander Aoshi Shinomori. He was one of the few men her father actually approved of. The only one, actually. Not that Megumi ever needed her father's approval. But it was strange to have her father literally throwing her in the man's direction. 

"He's a fine man," her father added. 

Megumi stared out the window, a soft smile lighting her features. "Yes, he is…"

"Yuki has noticed that one of her students happens to have a young father who never hesitates to engage in conversation with her only favorite niece at the halau…" Ryuusei continued.

Megumi massaged her temples. "Let me guess…Misao is the student…" 

"It's just a thought, Megumi…"

Aoshi glanced at his passenger. She was being very quiet since they left the hospital at five p.m. on the dot. It had been a long day, though…while in the halls, he had heard snippets of how many patients had come into the hospital. Brown sunglasses were perched on the bridge of her nose, shielding her eyes from the sun as he drove the short distance from the base. Aoshi pulled into the parking lot of the auto store before cutting off the engine. 

"Megumi."

She shifted slightly, her chest gently rising and falling. Aoshi reached up and carefully removed her sunglasses. 

"Megumi," he called out her name again. 

He shook her arm, causing her to stir. 

Megumi blinked several times before rubbing her eyes. "Sorry…I'm exhausted…"

"You shouldn't drive home right now if that's the case…"

"I'm all right. I just saw a lot of patients today…" 

Megumi climbed out of his Legend. They spent a couple minutes in the shop, with her finalizing the paperwork and paying fees. When they left the store, Aoshi held the door open for her, letting her stroll out before him.

When Megumi got to her car, he spoke up, "Let's have dinner together."

"I ate lunch a little late today, so I'm fine, thank you."

He cleared his throat. "I mean some other time. What are you doing this Saturday night?" 

Megumi shrugged. "I don't really have anything planned."

_Good._ "We can go to dinner then."

She turned towards him. "Is there some military function I'm not aware of? Or…you and several superiors are going out that night?"

He smiled slightly. "For a woman who's been out a lot…you don't seem to understand when a man is asking you on a date."

She blinked again, her mouth dropping slightly. "You…and I? On…a real date?"

Anxiety began to build in his belly. She didn't seem very pleased with the idea… "Yes."

Megumi bit her lip. "But…this is us. Friends don't date each other."

He arched a brow. "Unless they're interested." 

Her eyes rounded. "You...you…you've never said anything…When did all of this start?"

"Does it matter?"

Uncertainty flickered in those expressive brown eyes. He frowned. Since when was Dr. Megumi Takani afraid of anything related to dating?

"Megumi?" he prompted. This was not going well. Not at all. She was staring at something far, far away, lost, he almost thought she didn't hear him. He was about to call her name again when her eyes shifted to his.

"I'm…I'm really flattered, Aoshi…but…I…I can't." She looked away.

"You won't hesitate to come on to me, but when it comes to a date, you immediately turn away." 

"Flirting is one thing," she responded defensively. "It's…it's not that simple when you go past that…"

He intuitively knew that this type of attraction wasn't temporary. It had probably been there all along. But he had no intention of scaring her off. "I'm not asking for much, Megumi. One date."

"What happens then?"

Silence. Until...finally, "That depends on you."

"I'm sorry, Aoshi…but…my answer's still the same…"

He watched her turn away to enter her car.

Misao looked up from stirring the boiling macaroni when Aoshi entered the house. 

"Hey, Aoshi!"

"Hi, Misao." As usual, Aoshi set his keys by the door. He disappeared in his room to change out of his uniform. 

Misao scooped up some macaroni, examining it carefully before placing the items back in the boiling soup. Aoshi came back dressed in a white T-shirt and black shorts, settling on the stool by the kitchen.

"How was your day?" Misao asked.

Pause. "Eventful."

"Cool." Misao set her wooden spoon down. She couldn't help but feel guilty about what had happened. She tried so hard to find someone for him and failed. "Aoshi…about the Valentine's Day thing…I'm really sorry I couldn't find someone for you…"

He said reassuringly, "It's all right, Misao. You tried."

"I just can't believe everyone turned out so badly…" she continued. "Well…it's okay. You're not looking for a relationship anyway…"

"I asked Megumi out," he said quietly. 

"I mean, like you said, they're like totally…what?" Misao paused.

"You heard me."

Misao blinked. She couldn't believe it. He asked Megumi out? On his own? She didn't play matchmaker this time around and he still…She frowned in thought. Aoshi didn't look too happy, though…

"Judging by your expression, she said no," Misao concluded.

He nodded.

Misao sighed. "Megs doesn't think of you in that way."

"I figured," Aoshi said wryly.

"So that's it? You're just going to go back to the way things were?" Misao demanded.

"Yes."

"That sucks." Misao frowned, hands on her hips. "You can't just quit like that, Aoshi!"

"Megumi isn't going to change her mind," he replied. 

"Well…you're just going to have to convince her!" Misao exclaimed. Planting herself in front of her guardian, she looked him over. "Okay, listen. You want to be with Megs right?"

"Right." He frowned. "I have work, and I have you…but lately…and the more I'm around her…"

"Relationship doesn't sound too bad," Misao concluded.

He nodded. Then added, "I told her that all I wanted was one date. If she was open to going beyond that, then I'd be willing to as well."

Misao groaned. "No, no, no! Aoshi! How can you be expect to be Megs' boyfriend if you're going about it like that?!"

"She doesn't want to be rushed," Aoshi responded. "Still, she said no."

"Of course she said no!" Misao retorted. 

"Misao, you haven't even had a boyfriend yet, how do you-?"

She swatted his shoulder. "Only because they know my dad is military! That actually terrifies some guys. Not to mention…you told me so yourself…you'd have them sign a contract to bring me home on time and treat me nicely…and if they didn't…you'd shoot them."

He arched a brow. "I still meant it. I have the contract typed into our computer."

Misao wrinkled her nose. "Okay, we're getting off the subject. You need to start getting Megs to see you as a man. Not as Aoshi the friend. Aoshi the man."

"That sounds ridiculous…" Aoshi released a breath. 

"I know it sounds romance novel-ish, but it's true. Think about it. For the longest time, you saw her as Dr. Megumi Takani. Then she became Megumi. You just need her to look at you with new eyes. Once she does, she'll go out with you."

"And how do I do that, wise one?" 

She ignored the drip of sarcasm in his voice. "Start showing her that you're interested. Little gestures, here and there. She needs to understand how you see her. Nothing is more of a turn-on than someone who's interested. And you're smart, you're nice, you're good-looking, a woman would be crazy not to go out with you. You're generous, and kind, and-"

Aoshi narrowed his eyes. "I'm not increasing your allowance this week."

"Darn! There's a sale going on at the mall, and I wanted-"

"No." She could tell by the twitch of his lips that he didn't take offense to her obvious flattery.

"But, Aoshi-"

"Misao, I appreciate the advice. But I think I can handle this one on my own." 

She watched as he headed towards the den to watch the news.

"Yeah right," she murmured. "It took you over a year and a half to realize that she isn't some creature of the night who steals men's souls…"

            Later that night, Megumi picked at her strawberry cheesecake in the cafe at the Royal Hawaiian, ignoring the curious looks shared between her aunts. 

            "You seem awfully distracted, dear," Yuki commented. 

            Kyoko's eyes studied her face carefully, as if the action alone could reveal the problem.

            Megumi smiled ruefully. "Just…thinking…"

            "Must be a very controversial topic," Yuki thought aloud.

            "What makes you say that?"

            Kyoko pointed at her dessert. "You turned your strawberries to slivers."

            Clearing her throat, Megumi set her fork down. "Oh." 

            "What's wrong?"

            Megumi sighed, looking away. She had always been able to talk to her aunts about her problems in the past. They had always been there to advise her in matters of the heart. "There's someone…who recently…told me that he's interested in me. I don't know how to deal with him."

            Yuki's eyes widened. "He isn't harassing you, is he?"

            Immediately, Megumi shook her head, holding one hand up in protest. "No, no…my safety isn't an issue here. He's a good man. I'm not exactly sure about everything. I…I…" 

            "What did your young man say?"

            Megumi bit her lip. "He wanted to take me to dinner. And maybe…go from there…"

            Kyoko laughed softly. "Since when was that a crime? I'm sure you've been asked to dinner on numerous occasions…"

            "He's different," Megumi insisted. "And I'm not sure how to…" she trailed off, unsure of what to say. 

            "Judging by your uncertainty, you seem unsure about your feelings for him…" Yuki observed. "Is he someone you can't see yourself being with?"

            "No, it's not that…" Megumi paused.

            "What does he look like?" Kyoko leaned forward excitedly.

            Sometimes Megumi wondered if other women had aunts like hers. Auntie Kyoko was known to be quite the gossip in the family. It had driven her father nuts when they were younger. 

            Megumi cleared her throat. "Well…he's tall, dark…very good-looking. And like I said earlier…he's a good man. And…he's a naval officer, so he lives his life very much like that. I…I suppose one could consider that a negative, though…"

            "I don't see how," Kyoko mused. "Military men…officers…in my experience…tend to be very neat people. Their clothes hang all in the same direction, are spaced evenly apart…and they pick up after themselves whether in the bathroom, kitchen, or…bedroom." Then she continued, "Although, I admit, this does come as a surprise…I never thought you were attracted to the tall, mysterious, moody type…" 

            "Aoshi isn't moody," Megumi responded. Her aunts glanced at each other and smiled. It just occurred to Megumi that they had known who she was referring to all along, before she even started describing him. 

            "Hmm." Yuki tapped her fingers on the marble table top. "Are you sure you're not thinking too much about this, Megumi? It's just dinner. Why not indulge him? You go on one date and decide what to do from there?"

            "But once two people go on a date, things change," Megumi replied.

            "So what if they do? I've heard what that bear of a brother-in-law thinks about him. Are you sure you're avoiding Aoshi because your father thinks he'd be good for you? Or because _you_ think he'd be good for you?" Kyoko queried. 

            Aoshi was well into deep sleep when his cell phone rang. He jerked to a sitting position, his hand bracing his forehead. A quick glance at his nightstand told him that it was nearly eleven-thirty p.m. Grimacing slightly, he leaned over and grasped his phone, frowning as 'Megumi Apt' flashed on the caller ID. Pulling the charge cord out, he pushed the talk button.

            "Hello?"

            "Aoshi, hi. Did I wake you?"

            "Yes." He bent his knees slightly, bracing one elbow against his knee. "It's fine." It wasn't like her to call at a late hour. 

            "I…I…" It was a rare occasion for him to hear Megumi uncertain about anything. She let out a sigh. "About earlier…"

"You don't have to explain," he responded quickly. 

"I didn't mean to sound so…well…it's just that the idea of us never really came into my mind, so I was surprised."

"I could tell," he responded dryly. 

"Please don't make this difficult," Megumi replied.

Aoshi frowned. "What do you want, Megumi?"

"I…I don't know." She tried to keep her voice cool and distant. 

Amazing. She knew exactly what he was asking. What did she want from him? And not just a phone conversation. They were already tuned to each other's questions and thoughts. If that wasn't an indication already…

"I think you do. You just aren't willing to go after it."

To which she immediately replied, "It would never work, Aoshi. We're too different."

"Explain that."

Several shifting sounds occurred before she spoke again. "You're too…set in your ways. You're very stubborn. I'm too…outgoing, I guess. You turn glacial when I even say something remotely suggestive to you…"

            He responded in a low voice, "My physical response to you has nothing to do with why this wouldn't work and you know that. The reason why you don't think this would work is because you're afraid."

            "What?" she exclaimed in disbelief.

            "How you choose to deal with that is your own, but don't sit there and give me an illogical excuse."   

            "You don't even know me well enough to say something like that," Megumi stated. "I have nothing to be scared of."

            "Is that so?"

            "Yes."  
  


            But he pressed on, "You're so accustomed to being in casual relationships now that trying for something more secure is intimidating you." _There. He forced his frustration down. It had been a long time since he even considered wanting to be with a woman. Four years to be exact. Why was it that the one woman he wanted, was fighting what seemed to be the most natural? "You couldn't even tell me this in person. You chose to discuss this over the phone."_

            "I needed to talk to you. I was hoping that you'd be willing to accept my reasoning," she argued.

            He let out a breath, gathering patience. "I'm only asking you for the opportunity to try."

            "Aoshi-"

            "Think about it."

            Pause. "I have to go. Goodbye." _Click._


	8. Part 7: Iceman Catches the Vixen

**Part 7: Iceman Catches the Vixen**

_February 12, 2003___

_I called Kaoru and asked her to call Megs so we could meet up at this dessert place after we're all done with classes and work. And boy oh boy, let the drama unfold. Me meeting up with the women was very insightful. I learned a lot about Megs' view on relationships and why she turned him down. It's pretty reasonable. Not stupid stuff like 'His car is old', or 'He doesn't have a job'. Not that that really applies…_

_ So Kaoru and I decided that maybe we should both step in…_

_~ Misao_

"You what?" Kaoru stared at Megumi in shock.

Megumi shrugged. "I thought it would be in our best interests if we leave things the way they are."

"But…Aoshi's interested in you," Kaoru shook her head in disbelief. "Why would you…?"

"I just don't think it would work. I don't date male friends, and I don't date naval officers," Megumi replied flippantly. "End of discussion."

"And I'm sure Aoshi doesn't date women who play the field, but that didn't stop him from asking you out," Kaoru responded.

At that, Megumi narrowed her eyes. "I just told him that I like the way things are, but I'm sorry, it wouldn't work."

"That sounds so staged," Kaoru muttered.

"It's the truth."

"I know, I know…" Kaoru picked at her banana split before talking again. "But I think you two would be mature enough to go back to being friends if things didn't work out…How can you turn down the one guy who's really interested in who you are? And I mean you you, not the Megumi on the outside?"

"I feel like I'm talking and you're not hearing me," Megumi responded in frustration. The attraction wasn't completely one-sided, but how could she expect to get involved with someone only to have it end too soon? And yet, Kaoru struck a nerve. Aoshi probably was the first man…in a long time…who had shown interest in her as a person. Previous men…well…their reasons weren't like his. 

"Hi!" Misao hurried over, settling in the seat next to the two women. It gave her an excellent hearing range of the dialogue, since both Kaoru and Megumi sat across from each other. 

"Hi, Misao," Kaoru greeted, pushing a caramel sundae in Misao's direction. "Here. I'm telling Megumi that she should go out with the last guy who asked her out."

"Aoshi?" Misao prompted.

"He talks fast," Megumi murmured.

Misao shrugged. "He talks a lot more to me, now. So…why won't you go out with him again?"

Megumi studied her incredulously. "If I said yes…which I'm not going to, by the way…you would be all right with that?"

"Why not?" Misao responded, eating some ice cream. 

Megumi stared pensively at her own dessert.

"I mean, if you think about it, it makes sense," Misao commented. "I think it's cute!"

"I don't see what the problem is," Kaoru said. "You're both at a stage in your life when you should start thinking about settling down. You both have successful careers…there's nothing wrong attempting to see if you're compatible."

Megumi sighed, picking at her ice cream. "Aoshi is special…"

"What?" Misao blinked.

Setting her spoon down, Megumi stared sadly into her glass bowl of mint chocolate chip. "Look at my record, for crying out loud…"

"I think you take the playette role too seriously," Misao replied. 

Silence. "I'm terrible at relationships. I have a hard time…getting personally involved with someone. After Sano left…I just…I just couldn't do it again. At least, not seriously," Megumi said quietly. 

            "Maybe you haven't found the right person," Kaoru mused.

            "Which is why dating is just so exhausting," Megumi argued.

"But if you think about it…" Misao began slowly. "You two have already been on a few dates and…if you were to go out together again like you have been doing…you would like to."

Megumi frowned. "Those were surfing lessons…"

"And you've had lunch together during your breaks at work," Misao added.

The older woman blinked. "But..." she looked away. "It's all or nothing with him. He's not the type of man to engage in casual relationships. I know he's expecting a lot."

            "Wait, you're saying that you only want a casual relationship?" Kaoru asked.

            "No…I'm saying that those are the types I'm good at. Anything long term…well…"

Misao tapped her spoon against her glass. "He did mention that commitment is where he wants to be at…"

"Do you see?" Megumi threw up her hands. "I can't do that. I'm awful at relationships. And if Aoshi and I were to break up, things would never be the same."

"You really don't think you guys can be friends if it didn't work out," Kaoru said.

"How many of my ex-boyfriends do I still have as friends today?"

"One," Misao chimed.

"We became friends again because he's getting married," Megumi argued, even though it was partially true. Sanosuke was the only exception. He had been with her for four months. The man had been her first lover, first love...but it had ended in disaster. It had taken them two years to finally put their past behind them and move on. She wasn't bitter about Sanosuke's newfound happiness...she was glad he had found someone to love. She and Sanosuke were a lot closer now as friends than they had been as lovers. Two years to bury the past. Two years was a long time. 

"I don't think you're giving Aoshi enough credit," Kaoru suddenly said. "He knows about your past. Don't you think...he'd work extra hard to make sure your relationship went past a month?" She poked Megumi's hand. "But you have to work, too. Aoshi may be chivalrous because of his military training, but he's all for equal rights. You have to meet him one hundred percent of the way."

"Wow, Kaoru…" 

Megumi glanced at Misao then said, "Since when were you the expert on relationships?"

The young woman made a face. "Try dating, being engaged to, and marrying a Navy man, and you learn a lot."

Megumi glanced at her watch. "Listen, I'll talk to you two later...I have to go...Thanks for dessert, Kaoru."

"No problem!" Kaoru waved. 

The two younger women glanced at each other.

Once Megumi was out of earshot, Misao shook her head. "Okay, she's obviously got a thing for him, but…she's just being stubborn."

"We need to lock them up in a room together," Kaoru declared, nodding. 

_February 14, 2003_

_ And so we did. Sorta._

_ I convinced Megs that since I wasn't going to get any candy from boys for Valentine's Day, that she bring truffles cuz I was craving some. She makes awesome truffles._

_ Adults can be so gullible sometimes..._

_~ Misao_

She thought of going back home. What was she doing here? If it wasn't for Misao, she wouldn't have shown up in the first place. Everything was so...awkward. Megumi sighed as she rang the doorbell.

She hadn't spoken to Aoshi at all. But even just as friends, it'd take them a week or so before they spoke to each other. Why did he have to tell her that he was interested in seeing her? That just ruined everything. She wanted things back the way they were...she making fun of him and he brushing off her flirtatious comments. 

"Hi, Megs," Misao piped up as she opened the door. 

"Hi, Misao," Megumi responded.

"Come on in..." 

Megumi moved inside, setting the tin box of chocolate onto the kitchen counter. She spotted a mocha scented candle lit on the counter. "Are candles your latest hobby, now?"

Nodding enthusiastically, Misao replied, "I've got marine mammal-shaped ones in my room. Wanna see?"

"Sure..." 

The phone rang, so while Misao went to get it, Megumi walked down the hallway to enter Misao's room. She smiled. Misao was a teenager, all right. Posters and scrolls of anime characters hung on her wall. She spotted several dolphin, sea lion, and killer whale candles on her desk. Her fingers traced the shapes of the animals.

"Megumi?"

Startled, she whirled around to see Aoshi leaning against the doorjamb, his arms crossed over his chest. He was wearing a white bathrobe and his hair was still damp apparently from the shower he had just taken. 

"Aoshi...I was...just looking at Misao's...candle collection..." She smiled briefly. "She has a wide range of interests..."

"Where is she?"

"Talking on the phone," Megumi answered. "She...wanted me to bring some candy I made...did...Did she tell you?"

"No," he replied. Those blue-gray eyes never left her.

"Well..." she averted her gaze. "I'll just...go back out and find her..." _Could I sound any more pathetic? _She turned into the hallway, pausing, then turning back to him. "Aoshi…listen…I…I…"

He sighed. "Megumi…you're making this more complicated than it has to be."

Her eyes narrowed. "Just because I said no suddenly I'm the villain?"

"I never said you had to explain anything to me, so don't assume that just because I asked you on a date means I'm going to start now."

"Basically, I should shut up," Megumi snapped. "You should stick to simple words, Shinomori…they suit your demeanor much more…" With that, she stalked to the kitchen.

She gasped in shock and came to a standstill. Two tall candles were perched on the counter, their flames flickering in the darkness. The entire room was filled with strategically placed candles. On the counter was a plate of cheese, crackers, and fruit placed next to the tin of candy. And a bucket of chilled sparkling cider with two flute glasses. Soft music filtered from the family room.

"What the hell-?" Aoshi's voice came from behind her.

"Is this your doing?" she demanded.

"No," he retorted, before calling, "Misao?"

A quick walk around the house told him she was nowhere to be found. 

Megumi moved forward to see a note tucked underneath the plate of food. Holding it between her thumb and forefinger, she picked it up and began to read silently.

" 'Aoshi, here's one last attempt at me playing Cupid. Megs, don't be stubborn. Love, Misao'," Aoshi recited. 

The lady doctor set the note down, turning to look at him. "That…sneaky…little…I can't believe…" Her fists clenched in fury, Megumi grabbed the note and crumpled it, tossing into the trash can. "I'm not going to be part of this. No, thank you…" She stomped over to the other side of the counter. "Where's my purse?"

"What?" Aoshi leaned against the counter in a relaxed manner, popping a piece of fruit in his mouth. He looked entirely too accepting about their situation.

"My purse. It's gone. It has my wallet…car keys…"

"My keys are gone as well," Aoshi pointed to the place by the door where he always put his items. Then he sampled her chocolate candy.

"But who would…?" At his look, her eyes rounded. "Misao…Did you set her up to do this?"

He glared at her. "I already said no. I'm not desperate enough to have her strand me with a woman who already turned me down." 

"Sure, you're not."

"As far as I know, you could have done this," he replied.

"Unlike someone else, I don't have to worry about attracting the opposite sex," she shot back.

"Yes, you've made that clear many times," he said coolly.

_That…_she fumed silently. Megumi grabbed the nearest thing…a napkin…crinkled it up and threw it at him. "Why don't you just call me a tramp and get it over with? It's easier."

Her weapon hit him in the chest. He picked it up and tossed it away. "And give you the satisfaction?"

"You are such a pig," she retorted.

"That's the best you can do?"

She threw her hands on her hips. "I can't believe you!" Megumi exclaimed. "Of all the…You've got to be the most-"

He sighed. "Megumi, stop. Arguing isn't going to get us anywhere."

"Oh, sure. You're the logical one between the two of us?" Megumi crossed her arms. "When I asked you if you set Misao up for this..." she gestured to the room, "...you could have said no and be done with it. But you had to add more."

"You accused me of using my ward to get us alone together. If I wanted to be alone with you, I wouldn't need her help."

"You arrogant…" She whirled around, turning her back on him. "I don't know why I'm bothering..." 

"We should both stop..."

She rolled her eyes. "You start, you're the master of silence and-"

Megumi's sentence was cut off when Aoshi seized her elbow and spun her to face him. 

"That's enough."

"You barbarian! How dare you manhandle me just so you can-"

"Megumi. Stop. Now."

She slapped at his hand. "Don't tell me what to do!"

After he released her, she stalked to the family room, settling on the sofa, her back towards him. It didn't take a genius to decide that she was shutting him out. She sensed him behind her but she refused to look up. 

"What is bad about our situation now?" he asked suddenly.

She knew what he was asking. Was being alone with him for an undefined amount of time that intolerable? "It's just that..." Megumi sighed again. "This...This is more than just being stuck here with you. It's about…being with you. I can't do that." He didn't continue to ask why, but she felt he deserved an explanation. "I...I care about you and-"

"Ah. Reasonable motive to get away from a man," he commented dryly as he moved to sit in front of her.

She rose to her feet, staring out the window. She spoke so quietly, he almost didn't hear her. "I'm terrible at relationships. You said so yourself."

"I didn't know you well enough back then," he corrected, standing up. "It's different now."

"But…I...I liked us as…the way we were." Even to her own ears her protest sounded weak. 

"Who said we'll stop being that way?" Aoshi challenged as he grasped her elbow, slowly turning her to face him.

            She closed her eyes. "What I said earlier…" Megumi sighed, her grip tightening against the lapels of his robe, as if needing something to hold on to. "I…I think it might be best if we don't-"

"Megumi."

Her eyes met his.

"You analyze far too much," he said frankly.

Her eyes rounded. "This, coming from you-?" Her sentence was cut off when his mouth brushed hers in a kiss that sent prickles to her toes. 

_Oh my goodness…_she trembled slightly, closing her eyes.

When his head lifted, she saw her reflection in those blue-gray depths. 

She pushed against him, moving away several feet. He looked entirely too comfortable with himself while she had just been thrown for a loop. Megumi hated that feeling. So she said the first thing that came to mind. "Will you get dressed?" 

He lifted one brow. "Consider us even."

"This is different," she insisted.

Was it warm in the room? Megumi fought the urge to fan herself. Swallowing, she glanced at Aoshi and looked away. She always thought he was good-looking, but right now he was just plain distracting. 

He stared at her for several moments before stalking to his bedroom…presumably to get changed.

She needed a couple minutes to collect herself. Megumi closed her eyes. It was easy for Aoshi. He didn't know what it was like to wholly give himself to someone only to have things end badly. 

Someone like Aoshi would be so easy to fall in love with. But…a woman would have to appreciate his dry humor, his ambitious nature, his straightforwardness. She'd have to love all of him. She blinked. Love? When did that come into the picture? Megumi shakily ran her fingers down her hair before touching her lips with the tips of her fingers. The last time they had kissed…if one could call it an official kiss…he had been in the hospital, recovering from several gunshot wounds. She had been relieved to see him alive…and so she had kissed him. But this time…there were no intense emotions driving the action but his feelings alone. Maybe…if she was honest with herself…deep down, she did have feelings for him. But that didn't mean she loved him. It didn't mean that she couldn't love him, either. It was all so confusing…

A pair of strong hands settled on her shoulders, left bare thanks to the wide neckline of the red cotton sundress she wore. 

"I thought I told you that you analyze too much."

He knew what she was thinking? Of course he did. Before his shooting incident…he had been an acquaintance…just the guardian of one of her patients. But he was more now. And he could be even more than that if she just let him. 

"Megumi," he said quietly. "If you think that this is an impossible situation, then I can't change that. But if you just need time…then I can wait."

Swallowing, she closed her eyes. He wasn't going to force her to change her mind. If she didn't want to be with him, then he could accept that. And if she did…? Goodness, she was really scared. Scared of being vulnerable again…scared of not being good enough… "What if something goes wrong?" she whispered.

"I accused you of selling prescription medication in Honolulu. You thought I was immature, judgmental, and a controlling father. What else is there?"

Her eyes flew open and she tipped her head back to look at him. "Was that a joke?"

"Maybe." His hands lightly squeezed her shoulders, as if giving her strength, before releasing her. For the strangest reason, she immediately missed his touch on her. 

She reflected on that for a few moments. Some of her old fire came back, and she said, "Then I guess Valentine's Day is our anniversary. Assuming we get to it." At his sharp look, she grinned. Even if his face was upside down in her line of vision, she could see his eyes darken. "I'm kidding."

"I prefer it when you're quiet, not making jokes," he stated as he made his way around her to stand in front of her.

"Oh really?" She yelped as Aoshi tugged her hands, effectively pulling her towards him. "What are we going to tell Misao when she comes back?" she asked as she placed her arms around his neck. She was quickly starting to like the feel of him holding her in his arms.

"Let her think her plan failed. And reduce her allowance for stealing your purse."

"You certainly like to think ahead."

"All the time…" 

"How long you plan on sitting out here?" Stella's hands dropped from her car steering wheel as she glanced at Misao. She had parked half a block away from the Shinomori/Makimachi residence.

Misao looked up from her handheld game system. "I don't know. We could always go to your parents' house since they went out of town for the weekend." 

Danielle munched on a couple of Hawaiian style crackers before glancing at the purse beside her that Misao stole from the house. "Doesn't Megumi have people to call that could pick her up and take her home? And who has spare keys?"

Misao grinned. "Yeah. But they already know not to do anything."

"You're cruel," Stella said.

"I know."

Megumi held out her glass so Aoshi could refill it with sparkling cider. Glancing at the clock, she commented, "Misao's been gone for a long time…"

"Is there a problem with that?"

"No…just…it's going to get very awkward once I reach my bedtime," Megumi joked.

"We'll work it out," he assured. "I doubt she'll be gone all night…" 

"Oh well." Megumi popped a piece of fruit into her mouth. After chewing and swallowing, she spoke up, "For the sake of conversation…if I said no…you really were willing to wait?"

He nodded. "Patience is key."

"You would have just sat around and waited?"

He raised his glass in her direction. "You're a sensible woman. It'd only be a matter of time before you said yes."

"You have that much faith?" she asked incredulously.

"Absolutely."

"I'm glad to hear that. I think it's catching."

They both looked up at the sound of a key turning the lock. Aoshi moved from his position next to Megumi to stand in the kitchen as Misao hesitantly stepped inside the house. 

"Welcome back, Misao," he said in a stiff voice.

Megumi glanced at him then glanced at the teenager, whose shoulders sank, a sheepish expression on her youthful face.

"Hi, Aoshi…" she started.

"You have some explaining to do, young lady."

Misao came to the counter, setting Megumi's purse on top along with Aoshi's wallet and keys. She glanced at her friend and her guardian, apparently noting the space between them. And that the lights had been turned on, diminishing the effect of the candles. She sighed.

"Okay…so maybe I asked Megs to-"

"Tricked," Aoshi corrected.

"Okay…I tricked Megs into coming here so I could get you two together," Misao admitted. Then she shook her head. "Look…I'm sorry…I had good reasons…you two were going nowhere," she protested.

"I don't appreciate any meddling," Aoshi commented. "And you know better than to take anyone's personal belongings. What if an emergency occurred and someone needed us to be there?"

"I know, I know." 

"I'm cutting your allowance for the week," he announced.

"What?!" Misao's jaw dropped. "But…"

"I'm not finished," Aoshi cut in.

Misao sighed while Megumi hid a smile. 

"I'm not going to go through the last three weeks ever again," Aoshi said firmly. "No more setting up dates or girlfriends."

"Yes, sir," Misao mumbled. 

"So take down that ad first thing tomorrow," he stated.

"I will…"

Megumi bit her lip. 

"And lastly…" he continued.

Misao cringed.

"Megumi and I have a date Saturday night, so you and I will go to the movies Saturday afternoon instead," Aoshi declared finally before adding, "If that's all right." 

Misao's eyes widened and she looked at one, then the other. Megumi smiled at her.

"Yeah! Sure…" Misao beamed. "I guess…everything worked out okay, huh?"

_February 17, 2003_

_ Yuki-sensei cancelled hula class on Friday, said we could come in on Saturday instead, since she figured some people would wanna spend the day with their significant others._

_ Well, diary, I did what I set out to do all those months ago. It was a bit of a pain, but things worked out in the end. Aoshi and Megs' anniversary is officially Valentine's Day. And they'll get to their anniversary. I'm almost sure about that._

_ I'm kinda bummed about the allowance cut. It's only for the week, though. But it was worth it._

_ And I'd do it again if I had to._

_            Once Aoshi and Megs became an item, it didn't take long for news to spread. To the circle of friends…Megs' family…her ex in __Virginia__…and even Aoshi's work.__ Aoshi told me that Commander Saitou had a bet going on in the entire unit that Aoshi would be dating Megumi, and that they started on Valentine's Day. Commander Saitou won eight hundred dollars and is letting Aoshi leave an hour early for the rest of the month. _

_~ Misao_


	9. Epilogue: The Golden Letter

A/N: *smiles* There's a brief A/Meg scene in here that…well…it's pretty tame compared to other things I've seen on the net, but I thought I'd warn you guys. =P

**Epilogue: The Golden Letter**

_October 26, 2003_

_ Well, diary, it's been a while since I wrote. With hula school, senior year, and Aoshi's intense kempo training keeping me busy, I haven't had much time to write. Aoshi taught me a long, long time ago…most of the stuff I did was basic…but he decided to teach more, especially since I had little to do over the summer. _

_ Aoshi and Megs are still together. 8 months now. They've had their fights, their disagreements, their make-ups, like every couple does. Megs said the first three months are kinda the probation period…they're in the happy stage. After that, they really start to know each other then that determines if they stay together. Not that they really needed a probation period. They both really want things to work out. Sometimes, watching them, you'd swear that they've been together for years. Some couples just click that well, I guess. _

_ I went on a school retreat for the weekend. So that gave the two some time together. And I know they took advantage of it. What cracks me up is that they try to be subtle about it. Hello? I learned about that stuff long ago._

_ At least Aoshi's not the single parent who puts his personal life first now that he's got a girlfriend. At first, he and Megs were concerned because they thought I wouldn't want to share him. But it's cool with me. Megs hasn't stopped talking to me just cuz she and Aoshi are going out. We still do our girl shopping and stuff with Kaoru, and I still have my time with Aoshi. _

_ When I got back, I was surprised to learn that Megs got a letter from an old friend…_

_~ Misao_

Bright sunrays entered between the blinds of her bedroom. Megumi stirred slightly, her head lifting to glance at the clock. She carefully lifted the arm that had draped over her waist, disentangling herself from Aoshi's grasp. He was still asleep, his breathing slow and even.

After pulling on a robe, she made her way to the kitchen to boil a kettle of water. She sat at the kitchen table, filing through her mail from the previous day. After sorting through the standard junk mail, she saw a fairly large white envelope in her stack, sent from Virginia. She arched a brow. Megumi only knew one person from Virginia. After opening the letter, two fancy white envelopes slid out. Megumi pulled out the white piece of paper accompanying the envelopes and began to read the familiar chicken scratch:

_Hey, Fox-lady!_

_ How have you been since the last time we talked on the phone? Hope you aren't stressing yourself out too much with work and all. I promised that I'd invite you to my wedding, so here are the invitations. There's one also for that icicle boyfriend of yours. His girl is invited also. Kat's really looking forward to meeting you guys. She wants to see if your taste in men has changed over time. =P So you better come. Or else._

_~ Sano_

Megumi smiled as she picked up the envelopes. In gold letters on the front of one, 'Dr. Megumi Takani', and the other 'Lt. Commander Aoshi Shinomori & Miss Misao Makimachi'. 

"They certainly went out on the stationary," she commented.

When she last spoke to Sanosuke and his fiancée, they seemed so happy. Megumi was really glad for them. They deserved all the happiness. And she was looking forward to meeting the woman who tamed Sanosuke. The man was so…reckless sometimes she wondered how he stayed out of trouble. 

So much had changed in a year since she last saw Sano. He was happily getting married, and she had found someone new to love. She smiled. He was strong and loyal. He made her feel cherished as well as respected her ambition and independence. Sure, they had their disagreements, but what couple didn't?

The kettle whistled, indicating it was done boiling. She retrieved two mugs from the cupboard and poured the water in each before dunking a bag of Chai tea in each. 

After letting the tea steep, she placed the mugs on a tray, grabbed the envelope addressed to Aoshi and Misao and made her way to the bedroom. 

She set the tray down on the nightstand and studied the form on the bed. Aoshi was asleep on his stomach, a serene expression on his handsome face. 

Megumi smiled. She really liked watching him. It didn't take her long to find out how much she enjoyed just sitting beside him, studying his features. Besides the fact that he was easy on the eyes, he was hers. It was nice to be in love. 

Her eyes trailed to his bare back. His exposure to the Hawaiian sun had given him a healthy tan. And while his career in Intelligence didn't require him to be in top physical condition, he kept up a training regime, anyway. She grimaced slightly, remembering the mornings he'd wake her up for an early run when the sun had barely risen. 

Reaching out, she trailed two fingers down the groove of his spine, stopping at the small of his back. He shifted slightly. She grinned, leaning forward before trailing kisses from his nape down the line of his back.

He groaned, yanking a pillow over his head. "Will you let me sleep?" 

"You shouldn't sleep so much. It's bad for you," she said smugly. 

"You're the reason I'm trying to sleep right now…" his voice was muffled underneath the pillow.

"You shouldn't waste time like that, Aoshi. You miss out on a day if you sleep in."

A dark head emerged from beneath the pillow. He turned slightly, looking at the clock. He settled on his back, arm thrown over his eyes. 

"It's seven in the morning, Meg. Go away."

"I have something for you to read."

"Now?"

"Yes."

After several long moments, Aoshi shifted to a sitting position, taking a sip of the tea she offered him. Then he accepted the envelope Megumi held out to him. After setting his mug down, he opened the envelope and pulled out the fine stationary inside. 

" 'Sanosuke Sagara and Katherine Antonio…'" Aoshi paused, noticing that Megumi was walking her index and middle fingers up his sheet-covered knee and thigh. He shot her a warning look, to which she grinned in response. " '…and Katherine Antonio request the honor of your presence at their marriage the fourteenth of December two thousand and three at one o'clock in the afternoon St. Luke's Church 501 Main Street Norfolk, Virginia.'" By now, Megumi's hand had closed around the edge of the sheet that rode low on his hips. He lifted her hand away. "You're very persistent."

"Only when it's something I want," she quipped. 

He rolled his eyes at her comment, sipped his tea, holding up the invitation. "You really want to go to this?" 

"Absolutely," she responded. "Besides, Kat is looking forward to meeting us. It'd be disappointing if we can't see her. Can you go?"

"If I request time off." He set the invitation aside. "You sure this doesn't bother you?"

"What?"

"Sagara getting married."

Megumi's eyes widened. "No. Why should it?"

"It was an honest question," he shrugged, setting his cup down.

They had been through the discussion before. And he had no problem with the friendship she and Sano had. Not many men would be as understanding. She smiled inwardly. But it didn't mean she couldn't tease him about it.

"Are you asking because you're concerned about me? Or because you're jealous?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Why would I be jealous?"

"Oh, I don't know…based on what you know about my history…But then again, you don't seem the jealous type. You're as emotional as a brick wall."

"Megumi."

"There's a reason why your team codenamed you Iceman. You're intimidating, ruthless-"

Megumi let out a sound as Aoshi flipped her onto her back in one quick movement. A thrill shot through her body as he leaned close, his frame pressed against hers.

"We're going to have to work on that troublesome side of yours," he declared.

She fidgeted slightly, moving her hands up to push against his chest. "It took you eight months to decide that?"

"You're good at hiding things." His blue-gray eyes glittered with amusement.

"You're an intelligence officer. You're supposed to see these things early on. And I'm not a troublemaker," she retorted, fighting back a smile.

"Yes, you are." He lowered his head to feather kisses along her cheek and jawline.

She closed her eyes, her lips turned up in a dreamy smile as she tilted her head back, offering him the curve of her throat. Her hands traveled up his shoulders to his back. "Can we stay in bed for the next four hours?"

"Physical activity isn't just limited to the bedroom…"

She held her breath, hearing her heart pound loudly in her ears. All those months ago, she would have never guessed that a nature as passionate as hers existed beneath the surface. 

"Megumi…"

"Yes?" She shivered slightly.

Then he pushed himself up and off her. "Get dressed. We're going for a morning run."

She blinked. "What?"

Aoshi lifted a brow. "A morning run sounds good right now."

"Now?" she repeated.

"I think there's an echo in this room…"

Her jaw dropped. "You…teasing rat…I…I can't believe you just…Of all the…" 

He smirked, pulling her to her feet. "This is what you get for waking me up…"

"You sadistic…" Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Wait. We can't run. We have lunch with Kenshin and Kaoru-"

"In five hours," he interrupted. "You're not getting out of this one..."

At twelve-fifteen, Megumi hurried into the restaurant to find Kaoru waiting, looking over her menu. 

"Sorry I'm late…" Megumi said apologetically. "Where's Kenshin?"

"In the bathroom. Where's Aoshi?" Kaoru asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"Finding parking," Megumi explained. She lifted her menu and began to scan the contents, noticing the woman's scrutiny. Sighing, she dropped her menu. "What?"

"You're late," Kaoru pointed out. "It's not like you to be late. It's not like Aoshi to be late. Ever!"

Megumi shot her a look. "What does that mean?" So she was late fifteen minutes. Their morning quality time together took longer than she anticipated. What difference did it make? It was the weekend, after all. 

Kaoru gasped. "Wait a minute…did you two spend the night together?"

"What do you think?" Megumi took a sip of her water with a smile. She wasn't about to spill all the details of her personal life. Aoshi wouldn't appreciate it. He wasn't the type of man who liked to advertise. But it didn't mean Megumi couldn't give hints.

"You finally were able to…you know…"

Megumi coughed on her drink. "What do you mean, finally?" she whispered. Kaoru couldn't be that naïve…

"Wait…so last night wasn't your first time together?" Kaoru lowered her voice.

The older woman's eyes rounded.

Kaoru gasped. "Please tell me you waited at least a week after Valentine's Day when you-"

"Of course not," Megumi interjected. Then she grinned. She decided not to say that Aoshi had made her wait six months. Oh, she tried her feminine wiles on him, but those didn't work. At least, as well as she thought they would. He was far too patient and self-disciplined sometimes. But it had been worth it. She saw Aoshi enter the restaurant, making his way towards them, soon followed by Kenshin. Then clearing her throat, Megumi said loudly once the men came within hearing range, "So, Kaoru…I got a wedding invitation from Sanosuke yesterday…"

The other woman grinned, obviously catching on. "Same here. Looks like we all have a wedding to attend..."

"It's good news," Kenshin settled in his seat. 

Aoshi sat next to Megumi.

"I can't wait to see his house. When I called him yesterday, he said he and Kat just bought it," Kaoru exclaimed.

Which triggered a conversation completely unrelated to Sanosuke. Megumi glanced at Aoshi's attentive expression as Kenshin and Kaoru discussed houses and property in general. Hiding her smile, Megumi easily slipped off her sandal, running her toes along Aoshi's calf. His eyes darted to hers, and he frowned as her attention focused on their friends. She settled back in her chair, traveling higher…but in a swift movement beneath the floor-length tablecloth, Aoshi clamped his hand around her ankle. Her eyes widened and she let out a startled sound. 

"Megumi?" Kenshin prompted.

"Are you all right?" Kaoru asked.

Aoshi's eyes dared her to speak as he held fast. 

"Oh…" Megumi fibbed, "A…A boy across the room fell out of his chair…" The two conversed again while Megumi shot Aoshi a dark look and attempted to dislodge her ankle. A devilish gleam shone in his eyes and to hide his amused smile, his eyes dropped to study the menu. He wasn't letting go anytime soon.

She'd get back at him later for that. 

A/N: 

Well, I bet it was a nice change to see Aoshi act like 'the hunter' this time around as opposed to 'idiot, why don't you say something faster??'. Aoshi…sorta…got his revenge and that's about as intimate I can write those two. ( I much prefer to let the readers use their imaginations when it comes to situations like that. ^_^)

And that's the end of Matchmaker Misao. Hope you all enjoyed it, I had a great time writing this ficcie. There's so much one could do with this timeline if given the inspiration. Who knows, I might write a side story about Aoshi and Megs' first couple months, the ins and outs of dating. =P

Thanks to Daiji for the interesting emails (Aoshi isn't just some moody '…' guy), you helped inspire/expand? on Aoshi's AU personality…my sisters for providing motivation when I had no creativity…Azaleafaye for inspiring me to write AU...all you reviewers for taking the time to provide feedback…all the A/Meg shippers…all the RK series shippers…and of course, readers in general. ^_^

But wait…there's more! My A/U muse isn't done yet…

In the next installment Realizations, Sanosuke Sagara is getting married! It's a huge wedding with all the bells, whistles, candles, and garters. Three days of family gatherings, wedding rehearsals, bachelor and bridal parties before the most important day of his life. Sano and Megumi believed that they had put their past behind them…but when they meet up again…trouble in paradise lingers on Sano's horizon…


End file.
